


TrioBlasterSets AU - Six puppys and 3 flames

by Antares10, NamekianMaoh



Series: TrioBlasterSets AU [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 3 sets of Babyblasters, Accidents, Angst, Angst and Fluff, Babyblaster AU, Coming-of-age, Communication, Daddy Grillby, Dealing with all kinds of issues, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Everybody had a bad time, Everybody will get better thou, Family, Family Feels, Fellby had a bad time in his past, Fellby has no clue how to communicate right sometimes, Flashbacks, Fluff, Gaster did something really bad, Gen, Grillby is so DONE with stuff sometimes, Gyftmas, Hugs, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I mean it, I promise, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Minor Character Death, Nightmares, Other, Pinecones, Pyru steals brothers, Sans is Sans, Saz and Parz have issues, School, Sickness, Spoiler Genozide run, Suny and Papyrus have way to much energy, Swabby has issues but hides them, Temporary Character Death, The poor babys got messed up, Timeline stuff, Torture, TrioBlasterSets AU, UF!kids and US!kids are imperfect clones of the UT!kids, Uncle Fellby (Underfell Grillby), Uncle Swabby (Underswap Grillby), Underfell Babyblaster, Underswap Babyblaser, a lot of talking about issues, basicly the Grillbys took the Skeleton Siblings in, chapters are out of chronical order, cute stuff, everybody has issues, experiment au, fail and success of communication, fluffy snake, freakouts, hugs make everything better, mention of child death, mention of killing and mercy killing, physical and psychological manipulation, resets are mentioned, there are 3 Grillbys here too, there is happy and cute stuff here too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-13 07:38:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 238,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5700346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares10/pseuds/Antares10, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamekianMaoh/pseuds/NamekianMaoh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, Gaster made himself some Blaster puppys to experiment. Why should he stop with one pair?</p><p>AU where Underfell Sans and Papyrus and Underswap Sans and Papyrus are clones of the original Sans and Papyrus, trapped like them in the lab.<br/>They got out, they got to Snowdin and they got adopted by Grillby and his two Cousins, Fellby and Swabby. </p><p>This are the adventures, ups and downs of the 6 skele-puppys and 3 flamemonsters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares of futures past

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the result of NamekianMaoh and me throwing ideas at each other over skype. The result is this little AU.
> 
> It's a BabyBlaster AU where Sans and Papyrus weren't the only Blaster puppys in the lab. They got out together but they all were pretty messed up.  
> UF!Sans and UF! Papyrus (named Saz and Parz) took a lot of abuse and have a lot of issues. They don't hate each other, but the lab messed them up pretty badly.  
> US!Sans and US!Papyrus (named Suny and Pyru) were pretty lucky. Only Pyru got experimented on and he was the one knowing about the UF!kids and convinced Sans to search for them when they escaped.  
> Sans and Papyrus are a tiny bit older than their brothers. They broke out together and Sans and Pyru freed Saz and Parz together.  
> The six of them stayed together as siblings.  
> Due to Saz and Parz injurys and desperation, they seeked out Grillby pretty quickly after escaping  
> Grillby has 2 Cousins, Swabby and Fellby  
> Fellby is a grumpy grump but kinda loves the children, even if he doesn't say it and has a special bond to Parz and Saz, due to understanding their need to not be cuddled (to much) He is also the go-to-guy for Parz and Saz for emotional questions. Not the best option, mind you, but somehow it works out in the end  
> Swabby is sly and pretty into the whole family thing and collects blackmail material. He riles Fellby up pretty much all the time. Grillby is so done with their bullshit.  
> Grillby took the kids in, loves them very much and is the only sane person around. He questions his life choises like every day.

 

 

Sans was afraid. Very, very afraid but also extremely tired. They were dead. In just one day, in just a few minutes, he had lost them all. Parz and Saz who’d gone through hell and never fully recovered; Pyru, who fought so bravely and passionately even while he was turning to dust to stop the human. Little Suny and Papyrus who’d never done anything wrong, the two of them were harmless and wouldn't hurt a fly. And yet, all of them were now dead, turned to dust.

All of them by the hand of the human. Uncle Fellby was most likely dead too. If they were lucky, Grillby and Swabby were hidden away somewhere, surviving.

This would destroy them too.  


He had fought this damn human for so long. He was so tired.  
That damn human looked at him, eyes red with determination.

He would die.  


Just... just one minute. Please.

The knife came down. Dodge. A second knife. Hit.  


It didn't matter how much. One HP, One Def, no matter how much damage the human would have inflicted, he was done for.  


“W...welp...”, he said, still grinning. There was no way he’d go down crying. He would die brave like his brothers. “I... I'm going to Grillbys... P...Pap...?” He could almost see him.. no, not just Papyrus. He swore he could see them all standing in front of him. “B...Brothers... do... you... want... anything?”

Parz and Saz with their fiery red eyes but subtle love, Pyru with his lazy smile and kind eyes, Suny with his bright smile and big, blue eyes full of wonder and in the middle of them, Papyrus, holding his arms open for him, waiting. There too was Fellby standing behind them, his hands resting upon Parz and Saz shoulders. His family.

“G...gu...ys...” He reached out to them though he couldn’t quite …

He collapsed. Everything was black. It didn't hurt anymore.  


And then he woke up.  


“AAAAAAhhhhh!”, Sans came up from sleep like a drowning man to the surface. His scream rang out, loud and clear. After a second, he noticed that he was not the only one screaming.   
  
Everything hurt! What just happened, what was that? ohgodhewasdead, everybodywasdead, help!

Suddenly, there were arms around him. Warm magic he knew like his own hummed against his core. A soft voice, he was sure he wouldn’t ever hear again, spoke to him.

“Sans, its okay, shhh... calm down, calm down, I'm here...”

“P...Papyrus?”  


Whatever miracle gave him his brother back, he wouldn’t question it. He just hugged him, vowing to never let go. Papyrus held on just as strong. Sans just hoped that Papyrus wouldn't mind the tears that soaked his shirt.

It lasted quite a while before the world begun to expand to more than Papyrus' arms. He could hear soft whispering from the other end of the room. His siblings were here too.  
Pyru had Suny in his arms, holding on to him and shaking so badly that Sans thought he would break down at any moment. He kept mumbling soft words and Suny, looking spooked but with great resolve, did his best to comfort him.

On his other side were Parz and Saz. Saz was sobbing. It wasn't a pretty sight. He was bawling his eyes out, holding onto Parz, shaking hard and looking at so much in despair broke Sans' heart. Parz looked completely weirded out. Sans couldn't hold it against him. Three of his sibling just woke from sleep crying and freaked out and Saz looked like he was breaking down FAST and HARD.

It just was hard to do something about it when he himself was feeling on verge of another breaking down. He just hoped that Parz would keep himself together... god, why did the other even freak out like this? Why was Sans himself so freaking out?

White noise was filling his head again as the pictures flashed in front of his eyes. Dust and Snow. Water and Lava. Watching as everyone died. It seemed so real. But... it couldn't be, they were all here!

“Shhh... Sans, it’s alright. I am here, we are all here...”

Voices filled in slowly. Sans blinked and his focus shifted again to his brother, who was still hugging him.  


“Papyrus?” he questioned, voice hoarse. Had he screamed that much?

“Sans!” There was so much worry on Papyrus' face. Oh god, he felt bad all over. “Sans, shhh... calm down, okay? What happened? Was... was it a nightmare? You and Saz and Pyru just started screaming and we couldn’t get you to wake up… we didn't know what to do!”

“I...” begun Sans but he didn't know how to explain. He looked at his brothers again, Pyru looking calmer but still high strung with tear-tracks on his cheeks and Saz still very much in the process of breaking down. At least Parz was still with him.

“I... I think it... was a nightmare?” he mumbled. “But... it was so real...”

“A night terror, bro?”  


Sans could hear Pyru mumbling something about being sorry that he couldn't protect his family, couldn't keep them safe and Saz was muttering incomprehensibly but a few words could be understood. Sans got the impression that Saz was apologising that he couldn't avenge them, that he was to weak and he was sorry… it broke something inside of Sans to see his brothers in this amount of distress.

It also broke him because it rang all too familiar. He had to talk to them as soon as he could, but he had the suspicion that they had the same horrible dream.

“Come on, Sans... let's make a pile...”  


Sans blinked. The world moved around him as he was picked up. Somehow, Parz and Saz were suddenly at his side, Pyru and Suny at the other. And Papyrus still at his back. Sans felt himself relax a bit. They were all here, his siblings were all here and alive and he could feel their magic encircling him. They were there and not dust and everything was all right and... and...

He would not let anybody touch his sibling!!

 

 

 

The next day was... awkward. They were still in a pile, half of them shifted. Saz was still a mess, teary-eyed and whining; Suny was alternating between hugging him and Pyru before finally settling with wrapping an arm around each of them tightly. Parz still seemed weirded out, consistantly looking over to Papyrus and Suny for help. And Pyru was still uncharacteristically high-strung. He would jump at the smallest noises, shake all over and rattle his bones at any given moment and would become paranoid as soon as Suny left his vision.

So, of course, they talked about it. Saz was hesitating at first, but finally joined in halfway through their conversation. It seemed like their dreams matched. A human fell into the underground and started killing monsters left and right. The dream ended for any of them at the point they were killed, brutally so. It all came together as one big story.

But how could that be? Something like this… was impossible... right?

“Wait!” growled Parz, frowning harshly. “You mean to tell me in this... shared dream thing, I kicked to bucket after little Marshmallow-puppy here?”

“Hey!”  


“I don’t believe you! I am strong!” Parz huffs, puffing out his chest. “I wouldn't fall that easy!”

“Dude, that was a human.” said Sans, sighing. “And they killed all of us.”

“I would have killed them! You all dreamed me wrong!”

“I don't know if it was a dream...” mumbled Pyru, his shoulders trembling. “It seemed to... real. To detailed.” There was a beat of silence. “I... I really need a smoke soon.”

“Urgh, do that outside.” grumbles Papyrus.

“Okay.” Pyru sighed out softly, grinning lazily.

Parz was standing up too, looking a little to glad to escape the death grip that Saz had on him. “I'm coming too. I need a bit fresh air after all the crazy in here.”

Pyru just shrugged.

 

 

 

Pyru took out one of his cigarettes and lit it up, taking a deep drag. Being a skeleton had its ups. No lungs meant no danger of hurting them. And he could already feel how the herbs and magic calmed him down. He looked sideways at Parz, who seemed to be a mix between angry and confused.

“Hey? Want one?” he offered and Parz took him up for the offer. They smoked for a while in silent, both of them watching the smoke slowly rising between them.

“You know, you should talk to Saz” Pyru commented after a while. “I think he is really freaked out right now”

“Prissy little idiot could take some manning up.” Parz scoffs, squaring his shoulders as he glared at the rising smoke.

“Dude, I was freaked out! I’m still freaked out! This isn't something you just walk away from.” protests Pyru frowning. “Do you have any idea of what it feels like to watch your family go up in dust?” he begun shaking again. “I was the one who found Suny and you...”

“It shouldn't have been me, dammit!” Parz shouted. “I should have been able to kill one stupid human.”

“You didn't.”  


“BUT I AM THE STRONG ONE!” Parz screamed. “WHY DO YOU AND SANS REMEMBER BUT NOT ME? WHY DOES MY BROTHER REMEMBER BUT NOT ME? I SHOULD BE ABLE TO KILL THIS FUCKER!”

Pyru was still starring at him. “Parz...”

“Shut up! Shut your stupid mouth, I don't wanna hear it! I am as strong as you and Sans, so why was I the second one to die? Why didn't I protect you?!?”

“I... I think you saw or found Suny.” said Pyru slowly. “You had his scarf...”

“It should have been me who remembered...”  


“Dude, it is like it is.” Pyru sighed out as looked at Parz, his face becoming serious. “And you know that Saz is strong.”

“He got killed! He is weak! He will always be weak! He just has one HP and...”

“Did you ever consider, that he can't help his one HP?” questions Pyru. “We will never understand what you two went through, but Saz isn't weak. He’s pretty strong. He has magic like me and Sans.”

“WHY DON'T I?”  


“...Parz?”

“WHY CAN'T I PROTECT HIM?”  


“... dude, you... god, you have issues.”  


“SHUT UP!”

“No, seriously. The two of you should talk. Like… yesterday. I'm telling you, Saz is pretty strong but he is spread out thin. He doesn't have as much control like me and Sans so he… holds back. He loves you and what happened in that dream… it really messed with him. Just do the good thing and be the brother you’re supposed to be!”

“W…what?”

“Oh for stars sake, have you ever looked at Saz? He is exhausted all the time! His magic is putting a strain on him and he is an emotional mess. He loves you and I'm pretty sure you love him to, but you know what? He needs to hear that from time to time! Just hug him and tell him you are there for him, its not fucking rocket science! God, he’s worse off than Sans and you KNOW how he gets sometimes! Just... just go to him, give him a damn hug and be there for him!”

“Do not tell me how to live my life!”  


“I'm not telling you how to live your life, I'm telling you how not to fuck up somebody you care about, you numbskull!”  


“But...”  


“NO!”  


Pyru was seething with anger and Parz had to confess, he was a bit afraid now. He had never seen his brother looking like this.

“Listen to me for once in your damn life!” Pyru hissed, dangerously close to shifting. “You are hurting Saz and not in a way that will ever heal if you don't get your shit together. I’ll tell you right now, this is dangerous. Saz could fall down from this shit! It has nothing to do with him being weak or you being weak, it has everything to do with being hurt a LOT of times and this could be the last straw! So get a bag and start collecting your shit; get it all together, pack it all up and you take your shit and go to your brother! Just… just sort your shit out. I want that you both have the best organized shit in the whole Underground by the end of the day. Understood?”

“... what?”  


“Oh for god sakes! JUST STOP BEING A COWARD AND TALK TO HIM!”

Parz stared in the glowing orange eyes of Pyru, who looked completely different from his normal ‘chill’ self. He got up quickly and hurried inside. Damn, his brother could be scary when he wanted to!

 

 

 

He found Saz sitting in their room. Papyrus was with him, trying his hardest to cheer him up but he still looked pretty stressed. Parz swallowed heavily. Despite everything, yeah, he loved his siblings. Each of them. And Saz... Saz just understood, okay? He didn't need to say all that mushy stuff. They went through hell and back! They been through it all… together. But...

Was he somehow hurting Saz in a way that wouldn't heal? What was that suppose to mean?

Papyrus noticed him and waved him over. “Oh, Parz! Come here, we have just started to read a book together!”

He held up a book about some astro-science stuff and Parz opened his mouth to commend that he wouldn't do this nerd shit but stopped short when he saw Saz's expression. There was a small glimmer of... hope? Did he really like those sort of books? But... hadn't Saz always said that he hated science and all that stuff, that he wasn't a nerd like Sans and Suny? He always went along when Parz expressed his opinion of...

oh…

oh shit.

Oh goddamn shit! Did... did he take away the things his brother enjoyed?

You know, like the science..?  


“ _P-2, what do you have there? Do you enjoy that? Well, we can't have that!”  
_

Uh, shit.  


“Uh... that’s nice.” he finally says and sits down beside Saz who looked so... afraid. Was he afraid he would disappear? Or was he afraid of Parz? Oh shit, since when? When did that happened? Was he really that bad?

Saz looked at him confused and a bit upset, surely asking himself why Parz was staring at him like that.

“Saz? “ Parz began, voice shaking a bit. “Tell me... am I… a bad... brother?”

Parz was glad that Papyrus opted to stay in the background.

Saz was starring at him. “What? No!” he cried out. “You... you are cool and strong and you were always there for me and you gave me my name and… and in... in the lab you were there and... and...”, he stuttered and Parz saw how shaken he really was. There were tears again and shit, shit, shit, he couldn't DEAL with this! Why had his brother become such a crybaby, but... but he had to.

“ _Get your shit together.”  
_

“No, bro.” said Parz quietly. “... did... did I ever make you stop doing things you really enjoy?” Saz paused and that was all Parz needed to know. “Did I… hurt you?” Saz looked away. “Did... did I things like...”

Saz was hugging him, crying again. It was disgusting and so weak, but Parz could feel himself tearing up too. He wrapped his arms around his brother’s waist and held tightly. There was no way he’d let anybody see him like this! “Saz... I... I really care about you” he mumbled. “... you know that… right?”

“I'm sorry... I’m sorry… I'm so weak... I'm sorry... I’m sorry…” Saz cries out, beginning to repeat himself. “…sorry… sorry… I’m sorry…”

Oh shit, oh shit, had he broken his bro? Parz really was beginning to panic now. What was up with him, he was never like this, not even in the lab!

“It's... it's okay, bro. You're… not weak. You are my brother after all.” Parz said. “I don't have weak brothers. All my brothers are strong. You... you too, okay?”

He didn't get anything more out of him until Saz was asleep. Parz was still holding him, feeling completely out of his element. What should he do? Papyrus wasn't there anymore, surely having went to the others hours ago... god, this was so awkward!!

He really, REALLY hoped Uncle Fellby would be over today.  
Surely, the fire elemental would have some sort of advice… He would know how to deal with this… right?


	2. Burning rage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another bad timeline, another bad dream. 
> 
> This time, we focus a bit on Fellby and what interesting new thing happend in this run to him. Spoiler: Nothing good. 
> 
> Would you believe me if I told you that we WANTED to make something nice and fluffy but I kinda messed up and everything was angsty again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What you need to know: 
> 
> Fellby and Grillby were both involved with the war against humans. Grillby is a veteran, Fellby was kinda caught in the crossfire when things went bad. What happend influenced both of them heavily. It's pretty sad.  
> Swabby is younger than both of them and wasn't involved in the war. And he and Fellby have a complicated relationship. It took a lot for Swabby to gain the trust of Fellby, but he did.

Fellby was running, his core  trembling with panic. His magic was screaming, “Faster, faster! You are not fast enough! You are going to be late!”

He was running because there was a human in the underground and at least four of the children were dead. “Oh Stars, they’re actually dead!”  


Why of all days had he to choose this day to go to New Home for some stock for his cousin’s bar? Why today of all days wasn't he THERE.  


There was a phone call, a frantic one… He heard Saz, in full out panic mode, saying there was a human killing monsters left and right and that both Suny and Parz were dead; that he didn't know if Pyru was alive or not and that he couldn’t find Papyrus anywhere. Saz mentions something about evacuation going on, saying that he should hide.  
There was a crash and a small yelp. Something that sounded to much like “I love you”, then static as the call cut out…  


Saz had not answered his phone since.  


He called Grillby and the few words they exchanged spoke of pain, loss and grief. Swabby was with him though they didn't speak. So Fellby told them to stay out of sight and help with the evacuation, he would find the other children. He would find them and bring them to safety... he HAD to find them! If only he could be a BIT FASTER!!  


God, it was the whole Waterfall Incident all over again…

 

Saz and Parz  had been practising their magic when an earthquake caused a small cave-in. The two boys were trapped in a small room; alive but hurt. 

Fellby just... ran into Waterfall ignoring how dangerous it was… how water bit and burned his flesh, how his flame dimmed with every new drop...  
He helped dig them up with his bare hands and got them home. He was terrified at that time. 

 

Saz and Parz were dead.  
He would never see them again.  
He would never get to tell them how sorry he was for not being there…  


Shit, shit, no, this was not the time for something stupid like tears! He never wanted to fell like this. He never wanted to care this much!  
He is Fellby! He is the black sheep of the family! He does not have “emotions”; he does not have “feelings”! That stuff… that stuff was for wimps like Swabby!  


Suddenly, the human was standing in front of him. It was a small thing with messy hair and a stripped shirt though they held a knife in their hand. And was grinning. Fellby felt his flames rise, the tips changing from blue to violet.  


“So you are the human that kills monsters, huh?” he questions in a dull hum. He would not let this human take anyone from him again. His flames were now hissing, he would assume that he himself barely looked like a normal monster by this point. He would end this human… if it were the last thing he did. “This is your end, you scumbag!”  


The human just grinned. It lunged at him and he, surprised, could barely escape.  
His sunglasses fell to the ground, broken. He glared at the human and attacked.  


The fight was brutal. The human was FAST; they dodged most of his flames easily. Even his lava projectiles did not do much. The few that made contact with the human only managed to do very little damage. Nevertheless, Fellby was holding his own; twisting his flames and keeping away from the knife to the best of his ability.  


The sand came out of nowhere. He had managed to land a solid hit on the human. They let out a horrid scream and fell to the ground. For a moment, Fellby thought that it was finally over.  


However, instead of dying, the human threw a hand full of sand at his face. He screamed as his sensitive eyes, normally protected by his glasses, where doused with sand. 

IT BURNED! He couldn't SEE shit! 

He uselessly rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, shaking away what he could of the sand and ever so slowly, the human came into focus. They were running up to him, a widening smile on their face, knife ready to strike.  


It was like these moments when you life flashes before your eyes.  
Fellby knew he would not get away. With this killer intent in the human, he would die.

Well… at least he was going out in a fight.  
Who knows, maybe him distracting the human for a few minutes did some good and managed to save a few monsters.  
He had a decent life. Not good, mind you, but decent.  


But damn, he already missed the children.  
He missed Suny and Papyrus, perhaps two of the sweetest monster in existence.  
He missed his two boys. Even if Grillby was more the father figure, Fellby just... felt a connection with them. Saz and Parz were HIS! And yet… he LOST them and… damn. Just... damn!  


He hoped that Sans and Pyru have found their way to Grillby and Swabby. They could help each other with their grief. Hell maybe they'd even remember him… hopefully as someone who wasn’t such an ass. Yeah… this really wasn't the worst way to go.  


The world seemed to move in slow motion yet there was nothing Fellby could do. The knife was aimed right for his core yet for some reason, he felt himself grinning. “Do your worst human,” he thought smugly. “I’m ready.”  


Then… there was a scream. A flash of yellow. Something heavy landed in front of him.  


The human was … running as yellow flames leeched onto their clothing, burning their skin.  
  


All thoughts he had came to a screeching halt.  
The only monster he knew whom had flames of that colour was… Swabby… Why the hell was Swabby here? Why wasn't he with Grillby? Why hadn’t he evacuated with the other monsters? Why was he...  


… why…?  
  


… why…?  


…WHY??????  
  


Why did he jump between him and the knife?  
  


The wound was deep yet Swabby just grinned and collapsed against him, his flame growing weaker and weaker with each breath.  


“S...swabby?” he gasped out, hating how weak his voice sounded. No… no there are not tears. He does not cry… he cannot cry… he… he… felt so miserable…  


Swabby looked like hell but he was still smiling. Why was this idiot smiling? He was falling. He was dying! Why did he do that? Why…  


“Hey... found you.” Swabby stated, his voice so weak, barely even a whisper yet he looked happy...  
  
Fellby didn't understand. He was so angry; white-hot anger, pulsing through his veins. His head was throbbing, feeling like it would explode. “You...” he choked out, falling to his knees with Swabby held firmly to his chest. “YOU IDIOT!” he screamed, feeling lava-like tears sting his eyes. “What... What have you done? Why the fuck are you here?”  


“Couldn't let... you get killed,” Swabby wheezed out as though the answer was obvious. “Family... family sticks together… you know?”  


It hurt… it hurt so much hearing that.

“You idiot!” he hissed, the tears freely falling from his face now. “I was okay with dying! I was ready to... to turn to dust but you... what the… the actual fuck! This whole family stuff… its stupid! You know that? I... I would have never… never done that for you!”  


Yet Swabby just kept smiling causing Fellby to fell worse.  
  


“It doesn't... matter,” whispered Swabby, his flames now a pale glow. Fellby could almost see his core. “I would do... it all over. You are family. Take... please… take care of them. And I'll… take... care... the ones we lost…”  


“No,” whispered Fellby. “Don't... don't do this shit you... you jerk.”  


“Love you,” Swabby all but sighed as his flames went out. His soul quivered in the open air momentarily before his core turned to dust, his clothes falling to the ground in a heap.  


Fellby was left alone… sitting on the ground covered in the dust of his... his... friend… his family… cousin… the person who mattered so much. SWABBY! All over him.  


No. No. Nonononononononono!  
  
“NO!” he screamed, turning the short word into an inhuman screech, a wail of pure rage and hurt and grief. There were tears. Maybe he was already past tears. It didn't matter, it hurt too much. Maybe… maybe ‘hurt’ wasn’t the right word… this feeling… was something he NEVER felt before and… and…  


“COME BACK YOU IDIOT!” he screamed at the dust, at the stone ceiling above him, at anybody listening. “COME BACK YOU STUPID FUCKING SAD EXCUSE FOR A LIGHTER! YOU CANNOT BE DEAD! YOU CANNOT JUST FUCKING UP AND DIE AND LEAVE... LEAVE ME... leave me... alone… alone again…” his screams turned into sobs. “Please… come back... please don't be dead. You stupid idiot… it was supposed to be me! I was the one… who was supposed to die here not… not you… I… what am I… suppose to… you can’t be… no… please… come back.”

  
He didn't know how long he was sitting on the ground, how long he could not move.

Swabby was dead. He would never , ever come back. He was dead just like his boys, like the others.

This idiot and his family talk and... and they were... they were happy and he was so happy that someone had just accepted him and for once wasn't afraid of him and... and…  


There will never be any more pointless, stupid arguments. Never again would there be blackmail hanging over his head via embarrassing photos and videos. Never again would he have to hear Swabby’s laugh and see his catlike grin… or those damned tickle fights… or…  


No. Swabby was never coming back.  


The human just killed one of his best friends. No… his best friend, fuck his only friend. Swabby was his friend; he was his family. He was dead. The human took him just how they took the boys and all these other monsters.  


That fucking human. That damn fucking human. He would make them pay. He would fucking kill them. He would hunt that bastard down and BURN THEM until there was nothing not even dust left behind!!  


Fellby rised to his feet. His flames were now blazing an angry violet not just at the tips but all the way through. He gathered as much of Swabby’s dust as he could; storing the remains of the younger elemental in an empty bottle.  


“Sorry, Swabby,” he apologized. “I'll get you a funeral as soon as I’ve dealt with the human.”  


He left a trail of molten stone wherever he stepped.  
  


He would find the human. He would MAKE THEM PAY. And then he would kill them.

 

 

He found the human in the castle, standing in the beautiful hallway. Golden light was streaming through the halls. Outside, it was beautiful. Blooming flowers, singing birds. But here… There was a fight going on.  


The human was covered in the dust of who knows how many fallen monsters and laughing manically, dodging between bones and blaster beams. Sans was standing in front of them, looking more serious than Fellby had ever seen him; his left eye was aflame with blue magic, his grin looked grim and he had his left hand outstretched, encased in a blue glow. The soul of the human turned blue and Sans smashed them around : up, down, left, left again, right, down. It was hard to keep track.  


The human took damage but kept on laughing.  


Then they were swinging at Sans. He dodged, barely. The small skeleton seemed exhausted.  


Without even thinking, Fellby ran up besides Sans. “YOU!” he hissed, his flames shoving Sans back. He could hear the boy screaming his name and asking why he was here, but he ignored him. “YOU WON'T TAKE ANY MORE FROM ME!”  


He summoned his power. The human looked at him with mild interest.  


Fellby screeched in rage and threw the fi rst fireball.

No holding back!

He threw fireball after fireball.

He summoned lava and sent it in all shapes, every form he could imagine against the human. Spears and bones, round balls and sharp spikes. He created them all with his own flames.  


They dodged. They lunged at him again. The knife was coming for him again.  


“OH NO YOU DON'T!”  
  


This time he was prepared. His hands gripped the wrists of the human, burning them. There was a howl of excruciating pain but Fellby ignored it.  


He took the knife from the human’s now useless hand and concentrated. The metal began to melt within his grasp, filling the room with the smell of a forge.  
  
“No More!”  


Then he grabbed the human, engulfing them in his flames. The scream was blood curling; if he had any that is. It was over really quickly… perhaps too quickly.  


The black, charred body of the human hit the floor; a little red heart was flowing in the air.  


The soul of the human. Pure determination.  
  


It quivered.  
  


This damn human killed his family; killed the few people who mattered most.  


He was still so angry, still wanted to m ake somebody PAY for this.

Those fucking humans!

Humans trapped them here! Humans drove Grillby half mad during the war! Humans were the reason everyone turned their backs to him so long ago! Humans caused all that pain all that suffering when all he wanted was to help… humans… a human nearly killed them all… not just his family, not just his children… but everyone! A single human killed nearly every monster…  


So…  
  


Wouldn't it be polite to repay them?  


If he took the soul and made them pay?  
  


His hand reached out.  


“Fellby! NO!”  
  


He took the soul. Everything went WHITE.  


Bluish purple flames filled the room.  
  


He felt the power. Determination! It felt AMAZING!  
  


Then the rage. Still burning bright, giving him strength and resolve.  


He looked towards the door leading to the throne room. He would have to be a bit smaller in order to fit… Oh well. He recalled his flames noting how they were all violet, shades of blue and red mingling towards the tips. He silently wished he had more yellow… he wanted the humans to know why he killed them... Though red was nice. Red reminded him of Saz and Parz. Red like the costume Papyrus loved to run around Snowdin in. Red like Pyru’s hoodie. Then the blue… the same colour as sweet Suny’s eyes.  


“Fellby, Stop!” begged a voice. “Please!”  
  


Fellby blinked. Sans was standing in front of him, holding onto his left arm. The boy looked scared… why? He killed the human. He was safe now.  


“Please, please, don't go! Don't do that!”  


Why shouldn't he?  
  


The humans took everything away. They would take what little was left if he didn't do anything!  
  
He gently pushed Sans aside and made his way to the barrier.  


“NO! FELLBY, NO!”  


He would understand later.  
  


Rage let him burn brighter.  
  


He could almost see the barrier.  


“Fellby.”  
  


A new voice and another person stood before him. It was Grillby. He looked a bit worse for wear but alive.  


Good. Sans and Grillby survived. That was good to know. They had each other now.  


He had humans to kill.  
  


“Fellby, stop this!” Grillby pled, “You can't just... start a war on the humans.”  


“We are already at war.”  
  


“What about us? What... what about Sans and Swabby?”  
  


“SWABBY IS DEAD!” he roars out.  
  


Grillby was staring at him now. At least that shut him up.  


He began walking again when he heard Grillby's voice again.  


“Please, Fellby... Swabby wouldn't have wanted that.”  
  


“Well, we can't ask him anymore, can we? Seeing that he is dead! Because of them...”  


“Fellby... Please...”  
  
“No, Grillby! These humans! They took them from us… from me! I won't rest until they paid for this!”  


“Fellby, this isn't the way! You can't just...”  
  


“Oh, this is rich!” Fellby cries out, noticing how Grillby flinches a bit. “Coming from the same monster who fought in the war… Who was burning to go and defend monster kind… Who killed more humans than anybody else in the army!”  


Grillby was looking at him but said nothing. Good.  


“Just stand down.”  
  


And he walked… right through the barrier, to the surface.  


He stayed for a moment, at the top of the mountain, blinking at the sun and the sky. It was beautiful. A soft pink with brushes of purple mixed in.  


He looked down at the forest. There was a little village nearby.  


They would burn beautifully.

 

 

The flames where high and nearly drowned out all of the screams.  


Fellby did not care. He just wanted them all to burn.  


He was practically a god now, a denizen dedicated to fire and rage and killing. One swipe of his hand and a house catches fire, one thought and the flames were forming into any shape he wanted...  


The humans were running from him, screaming and dying. It was so satisfying!  


A human in front of him tripped, falling to the ground. They turned to face him as he strolled forward. Tears pouring from their eyes… They were afraid.  


Something about them... reminded him of Swabby.  


Swabby was dead. Just dust remained in a small bottle in his pocket… Swabby, whom would never come back… who he lost…  


It was just too much.  


There were tears again. A slight sizzling sound as they fell upon the ground.  


He broke.  
  


He broke down and cried… cried and screamed.  
  


Swabby was dead and Fellby couldn't do anything!  


He could kill humans as much as he liked, but he would never get him back.  
  


It was almost a relief when he started turning to dust.  


He didn't even really know why.  
  


Had it begun to rain? Was it the humans with their water or some sort of weapon?  


… Or did his heart simply break at the realisation that he would never get back what he lost?  


His last thought was…  
  
“Damn… I’m really shit at keeping promises… sorry, Swabby.”  


He hadn't taken care of what was left at all.

 

 

 

When Sans awoke he was already in a pile together with his siblings. He slowly registered that Papyrus, again, was hugging him and that he was holding on to Papyrus like a lifeline. There were tears, but he hoped that he managed not to scream this time.  


Beside him, Saz and Pyru were not doing much better.  


“Sans?” asks Papyrus. “Are... are you awake?”  


“Y...yeah..” whispered Sans, taking a deep breath.  


“Another nightmare?”  


“Seems like it, bro... one of those we have together.”  
  


He didn't need to say more. Papyrus understood and held him a bit closer.  
  


“Sans!” chipped a voice beside him and Sans felt small arms hugging him.  


“Hey, Suny...” said Sans, smiling a bit.  


“You were out so much longer than the others,” Suny mumbled with a small pout. “I am so glad you are back!”  


That was... interesting information.  
  
“Huh?” was Sans’ very intelligent answer, question and explanation all in one.  


“It's true,” said another voice. Pyru was sitting down behind Suny, hugging the overly cheerful skeleton again. “Saz and me came out of it like… maybe three hours ago?”  
  
“Three hours?!?” exclaimed Sans, alarmed. That was new, that was really new!  


Wait, something new had also happened in the dream...  
  


“Yeah, do you have any clue how? What had happened?” questions Pyru.  


Sans was still spacing out,  his mind racing over the events within his nightmare.

Swabby died, Fellby breaking down, Fellby taking the soul... and… and…  


“Sans? SANS! Dude? Come on, come back!”  
  


“Brother! Hey, Sans, Shhhh... Sans?”  
  


“SANS!”  


He felt himself shaking, terror vibrating in every bone.  
  
Oh god, oh god, he took the soul and he went crazy! Fellby left and he lived alone with Grillby for YEARS, neither of them ever recovering and so many were dead… so much dust. The Underground was falling apart and breaking. Then one day, years later, everything collapsed and he saw Grillby turn to dust in front of him and NO!  


“No. No. Nonononononononononono...”  
  


Something was whimpering. Was it himself? Or something different?  


Sans felt himself shifting, curling in on himself, sharp claws digging in his skull as his mind tried to absorb the magnitude of years worth of life and hurt.  
  


“SNAP OUT OF IT!”  
  


Sans blinked.  


In front of him was Parz, he was holding onto one of his hands and glaring at him. Saz was in his other form, holding his other arm down. Papyrus was still holding him, preventing him from curling in fetal position again. Pyru was in his other form too, holding his legs down along with Suny.  


Even in the hold of his siblings and their added weight, his body was still shaking violently.  


“What is up with you?” asks Parz. “Keep it together!”  


“Did something happened?” Saz questions as he shifts back. “Up until... I… died, it was almost the same as always.”  


Papyrus continued to make shushing noises at the back of his skull, gently petting him.  


He was still shaking but also started to shift back. He was glad nobody commented on the wetness he felt streaking his face. “Y...yeah,” he said finally.  


Pyru shifted back too and more weight was added to Sans' back. It felt as though Pyru simply flopped on top of Papyrus who was still holding him down. Suny's weight was practically non-existent so the younger skeleton could have been lying on him as well for all he knew. Saz was sitting up, leaning a bit against Parz who had his arms crossed and was glaring at Sans.  


“What?” he asked.  


“Maybe we should start from the beginning,” Sans mumbles.  
  
“Okay... uh... the human got me in Snowdin,” Saz states, trying to remember exactly how the events happened. “I tried to warn Grillby and Swabby early, but the human got me like always… There wasn't anything strange there...”  


“Suny and Parz… died like always,” added Pyru, sounding mournful. “The human was a bit faster this time around. I couldn't grab them and take them away like in other dreams.”  


“Fellby must have been searching for us like always,” Sans continues. “But this time... he told me… that Swabby died...”  


Pyru and Suny gasps. Both of them had a strong relationship with Swabby, seconded only by their relationship with Grillby, so hearing he died was pretty distressing.  


“How?” questions Saz. “He and Grillby should be safe at that point… right?”  


“I think... based on how Fellby acted... I think the human killed Swabby in front of Fellby,” Sans replies slowly. “Fellby... didn't take it well. He... He kinda totally flipped. He killed the human before it could kill me and... and… then he took the soul.”  


“HE DID WHAT?” screeched Parz, eyes wide and full of shock.  


“Yeah...” said Sans. “I think he... he was kinda crazy. Kept mumbling some pretty disturbing stuff...”  


“Well, the soul would make him badass... but...”  
  


“He left Underground. He... I think he wanted to kill humans...” states Sans, a faraway look in his eye. “He... didn't come back. Grillby and me… were alone for a long time.”  


“How long?” asked Papyrus, sounding almost afraid to know the answer.  


“Years,” whispered Sans, feeling fresh tears coming up. “Years. I thought I’d never see you guys again...” He sobbed so hard his core began to shake. “Oh god! I thought that I would never ever see you again!”  


It was good that his brothers already decided that they would sleep in a pile. It was good feeling the magic of all of his siblings hum against his own. It felt good knowing that he wasn't alone.  


“I really, really don't like these dreams you are having,” whispers Suny after a while.  


“Me too,” Pyru sighs out. “I think we all don't like the dreams.”  


If there only was a way to stop them...

 

 

When Fellby came over later in the day, he was in a reasonable good mood. He slept like shit for some reason, but the day in and of itself was actually pretty nice and everything seemed to be going his way…  


Things quickly turned around when he stepped into Grillby's.  
  


“Hey, cousin, I...” he could not say another word when six bone-dog-children-beast (?) were charging at him, pinning him to the ground rather forcibly. There were a lot of waving tails, happy and excited yips and other little dog-noises. And he was dragged over to the rug, where all of the beasts decided to make him the middle of a rather uncomfortable cuddle pile. “What the fuck?”  


“Language, Fellby,” Grillby states frowning, while he was cleaning some glasses within the kitchen. 

  
“Screw you,” he shouts back. “What is this supposed to be?” he tried to gesticulate to the children, but couldn't. His arms were utterly trapped under the mass of bones.  


“Hmmm I have no idea,” answers Grillby, barely able to keep the grin off his face. “They just woke up pretty nervous, but seemed happy when I told them that you'd come around sometime today.” Grillby sits the glass down and takes off the rubber gloves protecting his hands, walking into the living room. “Sometimes they get like this. Just wait a bit.”  


“You... you're just leaving me here?” there was a tiny pitch of desperation on his voice.  


“Oh, come on,” Grillby sighs out, shaking his head. “They won't be like this for long. Just wait it out.”  


And with these words Grillby turns away, entering the kitchen once more, unable to keep the smile from his face any longer.  


With that,  Fellby was left alone with the blaster beasts until they fell asleep.  
Well, sleeping like this... they were somewhat cute, he supposed.

One hand found its way to Saz's head and started petting him.  


Saz made a happy sound, one of his hind legs kicking at the air.  


Fellby felt his soul jerk – a thing it sometimes did whenever the kids did something cute or if Swabby or Grillby did something surprising.  


He shakes his head roughly, trying to rid these mushy thoughts from his mind and tries moving again.  
  


It didn't work. Suny made a distressed noise and Fellby held still.  


All of them had settled down on him comfortably. He couldn't bring himself to try and stand up again.  


“Damn,” he mutters, sighing softly. “I’m in trouble here…”

 

 

 

He drew the line h alf an hour later and stood up.  
He made it to the couch before he was cornered again… but this time, he would at least have some sort of dignity!

Unfortunately… it was already too late to prevent blackmail-photos from be made…  
One of these days, he swore to himself, he would find out how Swabby pulled that off.


	3. Blaster's First Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look at this, it's fluff! It's happy stuff! I can't believe it myself!
> 
> This plays one year after the children were taken in by Grillby. Enjoy the cute!

 

 

Grillby frowned when his alarm goes off, waking him from his sleep. He reached over quickly, killed the alarm and looked at the time. The little clock shined 6 AM sharp. With a sigh, Grillby left his bed and let his flames stretch a bit, abandoning his humanoid form momentarily before returning into their proper place.

 

He didn't need to turn on the lights; the orange-red glow from his body was light-source enough. Besides, he wouldn't want to risk waking the other people in his home whom were more-than-likely still sleeping.

 

He put on his glasses and fresh clothing before leaving his room being as quiet as possible and made his way into the kitchen. He had a lot to do before the children woke.

 

The soft sounds of bickering coming from the living room indicated that Fellby and Swabby were at least partially awake. Well, that was good. Now he wouldn’t have to waste any time trying to wake the two fire elementals. He paid the two no mind; after all, it was usually better to leave them to do their thing… It worked out great most of the time, even if he ended up having to replace some furniture sometimes. 

 

With a small smile on his  face, Grillby got to work preparing coffee, pancakes and hot coco. He worked silently and methodically, knowing the preferences of all of his children by heart by now: 

 

Suny liked everything that was sweet whereas Pyru liked honey on everything.  
Sans would eat just about anything you set before him, but loved ketchup for some strange reason.

Papyrus had a liking for fresh fruits like sliced apples, oranges and kiwis in the mornings.  
Saz would deny that he liked sweets but Grillby knew better. The boy enjoyed mini marshmallows floating in his hot coco way to much, especially so when Grillby dyed them red and yellow with cherry and orange juice.  
Parz on the other hand was a bit of a conundrum… he wasn’t really fond of sweets yet he liked dry pancakes. With salt. As well as some of the fruits Grillby had the boys all try. With salt. Yes, Parz was quite the conundrum… 

 

Normally, it was a bit too much for him to handle considering everybody's favourite foods each and every day. Most of the times, however, the kids were okay with pretty much anything they could eat. However, today was a special day.

 

Whatever Fellby and Swabby were bickering about seemed to come to an end or at the very least a standstill as he could hear them moving closer, coming for the kitchen and soon enough a soft yellow intermixed with harsh blue light were flickering into the room. 

 

“Coffee!” exclaimed Swabby happily, taking a cup of it all the while grinning like a fool. “Ooooh, that is good. Perfect!” he sighed out, taking a huge swig from it. “I so needed that.”

 

“Why? You are usually so damn energetic that nothing can shut you up,” grumbles Fellby while taking a mug of coffee for himself. 

 

“I've been awake since 2 AM!” Swabby argues back, his voice serious. “Not by choice, mind you. Pyru had a bad dream... We talked about some things and by the time he went to bed it was far too late to sleep.”

 

“That explains why everything was set up when I awoke,” Fellby grumbles back, stifling a yawn. “Shit I didn’t know where I was there for a moment…”

 

“Not everybody is a lazy-flame.”

 

Fellby sputters the coffee and glares at Swabby. “What did you just call me?”

 

“Would you please keep it down?” intervened Grillby pleadingly. “You’re going to waking the children.”

 

“Fuck you,” curses Fellby, crossing his arms and glaring at Swabby who just grins in return before turning his attention to the stack of pancakes piling up beside the stove. 

 

“That sure are a lot of pancakes.”

 

“We have a lot of children.”

 

“Awww,” Swabby coos, giggling excitedly. “They will be so happy! I can't wait for the photos!”

 

“You mean blackmail,” Fellby adds, grumbling.  
  
Swabby waves the fire elemental off. “Shush you!”  
  


“How the hell do you do that?” questions Fellby, lighting a cigarette. “Taking pictures of… everything without anyone noticing?”

 

Swabby laughs and grins at him slyly. “That,” he whispers, “is a secret.”

 

Fellby lets out a frustrated growl. One day, he swore to himself,  he would find Swabby’s stash and burn it all! Taking a deep swig from his coffee cup, he turns his attention to Grillby. “You better be making some of those for us too, Grills.”

 

“I will,” Grillby answers while feeding magic fire to the pan once more. Sometimes it really was handy being made of fire. “You said you have everything ready in the living room?”

 

“Yeah,” Swabby replies, his flames shining brighter at the thought of the joy it will bring to the children. “I just can't wait! Oh, can't we just wake them now? Please, Grillby?”

 

“No, let them sleep,” answers Grillby. “You said yourself that Pyru didn't sleep well last night.”

  
“Yeah... you're right...” mumbles Swabby, sighing deeply. He took another swig from his coffee. “I sometimes wish they would tell us more what happened to them,” he says after a few moments. “I want to understand better and help them. Though… on the other hand, the little snippets I'm getting? They are horrifying... Yet they let those slip like its nothing!”

 

“So… what have they told you?” asked Fellby, grinning a bit smugly. “You are so squeamish I bet one of them could have told you that they stubbed their toe and you would find it horrifying.”

 

“Pyru said… that they made him watch recordings of what they did to Saz and Parz,” Swabby answers, his voice a lot colder than usual and a dark look in his eyes. 

 

There was a beat of silence, both Grillby and Fellby staring at Swabby.

 

“Those bastards,” Fellby curses, cracks forming in the coffee mug within his hand. “I’ll kill them!”

 

“He didn't tell me WHAT he saw, but I'm assuming it was bad considering YOUR reaction,” frowns Swabby. 

 

“The brats don't tell me shit,” hissed Fellby. “But I'm not an idiot! I can read between the lines. I saw what they looked like the first few days… even I can piece two and two together.”

 

“They are both pretty prideful,” Grillby states, looking towards Fellby with an oddly soft expression. “Like somebody else I know. But,” he adds, clearing his throat, “I'm sure some day… they will entrust us with more information.”

 

“The dogs told me last week they had a new lead to where whoever did this could have put his logs and recordings, maybe even the location of... wherever they came from,” chipped Swabby, “maybe we'll get some information pretty soon.”

 

“Yeah... maybe,” mumbled Fellby, now staring into his coffee. 

 

A loud yell ended their discussion.  
  
Followed by a yelp, a crash and something that sounded like crackling magic. 

 

“I think the children are awake,” states Swabby grinning. 

 

“Very well,” said Grillby, putting the pan down. “Let's get them.”

 

 

 

Upstairs was a large room that once was a guest room but was recently upgraded and renamed as the official “Room of Bones”. It was named such because Sans had the strongest magic amongst the children and was fast enough to paint the name in blue lettering on the door before any of his siblings could protest.  
There were still some yellow, red, orange and other shades of blue stains on the door and on the wall surrounding it… Some of them were hidden behind signs and posters; most of them with inspiring sentences such as “No girls allowed” or “No boys allowed” as well as “Flames are cool”, “Bones for real” and least not forget “Papyrus, Suny, Sans, Pyru, Saz and Parz allowed” below which a smaller sign read “Grillby, Fellby and Swabby are allowed, too.”

 

The room behind the door showed signs that there had been need for some reparations in the past; part of a wall that looked a bit newer and was half-hidden behind a big poster about space; an actual hole in the wallpaper that was hidden behind a pirate flag found in the garbage dump. The floor was made out of a soft tapestry; one that was at one time a mint green but now looked faded and like it had to be cleaned in various places multiple times… There was still this one patch that looked like something burned there, covered slightly now by a bookshelf.

 

They did not have multiple beds, just one large mattress big enough to fit all six little skeleton children plus a ton of soft blankets, pillows and an assortment of stuffed animals. A door led to a big walk-in closet which sometimes doubled as a hiding space after a very bad dream or a prank they all knew they would get in trouble for.  
  
A big shelf housed all kind of books and games for them. Little tables and shelves were placed around the room, not for storage space, but for creating little hiding places for all of them with the help of old bed sheets and a handful of safety pins, each of which were filled with soft blankets and whatever they liked. Grillby knew there was also a stash of food hidden around somewhere... He made it a rule that they could only keep non-spoilable and pre-packet foods in their room and as far as he knew they were keeping their promise so he let them keep their little safety net.

 

There were still several  toys and some books lying around the whole room despite Grillby's (as well as Papyrus' and Suny's) best efforts to keep them picked up. Sans and Pyru were both pretty messy yet somehow always knew where they put their plaything.  
Saz was pretty passive in making messes though the boy could be a bit clumsy in his other form resulting in a few mishaps added to his tendency to fall asleep at all times in the most peculiar of places… He seemed to prefer to watch the others do their thing, sometimes randomly be drug into whatever Suny and Papyrus were playing.

 

Suny and Papyrus loved to re-enact their favourite scenes from Grillby’s and Swabby’s bedtime stories. (Fellby had been forbidden from giving bedtime stories since he could not seem to keep them appropriate for small children.)

Parz loved to rough play and would initiate a playful fight whenever he was in a mood. He often was cast as the villain in Suny's and Papyrus' plays and this was the only instance in witch he would lose to anybody willingly and with a shard of dignity. 

Sans loved reading. If he wasn't keeping an eye on his siblings or playing with Papyrus and Suny, he could be found sitting in one of the many hiding places with a book. It had been the cutest thing ever when Sans announced that HE would read the bedtime story for his brothers once night randomly. It was a bit slow and some sentences were clearly made up, but he went through all of “Fluffy Bunny’s Adventures” on his own without help of Grillby or Swabby.

Pyru had more similarities to a cat than a dog. He would laze around, let his brothers use him as a playground and preferred warm places to lie down and sleep. The only two things that seemed to get him excited were music and crayons. He could spend hours just drawing or colouring something; Pyru created over half of the pictures on the fridge. He held a great passion for music, often listening to the same song on repeat for what seemed like hours on end; much to the annoyance of Fellby and Parz. 

 

Overall , the room looked well lived in.

 

 

 

Five minutes earlier, they were still asleep, all of them curled up together in their bed. It was usual that they would place Saz and Parz in the middle reflecting back upon their time on the run when the both of them were seriously injured and dangerously close to falling so the others would keep them in their middle to protect them from outside forces that would try to take them from them. Suny and Papyrus were still very small compared to their siblings so they would sleep either on top of or between the others whereas Sans and Pyru would usually lie on either end of the pile being physically the oldest and largest of the six. 

 

This day  Pyru was sleeping at outermost end of the skeleton-pile, very close to the edge of the bed, his nightly trip to Swabby having cost him his previous spot.

 

A ray of light shining through the big window fell onto Suny ’s face. The light awoke him and he lifted his head, yawning. The blue light in his eyes had shown a bit brighter as soon as he was awake enough to register that he was in fact awake. “Guys!” he exclaims excitedly, shaking Papyrus who just happened to be the closest to him. “Wake up! Wake up! It's morning! It's morning!”

 

His excited ‘waking up’ of Papyrus had consequences. Papyrus yelped, startled by being awoken in such a manner and jumped back. This action shoved Saz into Parz who turned around pretty roughly which then tipped Sans, who was lying on Parz’ side. Sans' legs collided with Pyru's hips and ended up shoving Pyru out of the bed. 

 

Pyru yelped loudly as he fell onto the ground, his bones rattling.  
There was a beat of silence until Suny and Papyrus tried to climb over their sibling, wanting to see Pyru. 

 

“Pyru! Pyru, are you okay?” asks Suny, leaning over the edge and looking down at his brother. 

 

“Pyru?” questions Papyrus, looking over Suny’s shoulder. 

 

Pyru was sitting on the ground, looking a bit disgruntled up to his brothers. “Yeah...” he said while rubbing his skull. “I … think so…”

 

Sans grabbed Suny by his shirt, preventing him from toppling over too and looked over to Pyru, grinning a bit. “Hey, Pyru. What are you doing down there?”

 

“Trying to not stay up,” mumbles Pyru as he lets out a large yawn. 

 

“But brother!” protested Suny. “It's morning! We should play! You said we could play when it's morning!”

 

“Yeah... I did say that, huh?” said Pyru and yawned again. 

 

“Hey, you really okay?” asked Sans. “You should maybe come back here... hey, let me...” He held out his hands towards Pyru and concentrated, furrowing his eye sockets. His left eye became bright blue and Pyru was surrounded by a blue aura before slowly being lifted in the air while Papyrus and Suny stared on with pure fascination as Pyru was placed back in the bed. 

 

Sans grins. “Pretty cool, huh?” he questions. Then he promptly flops over.  
  
Papyrus was at his side in a flash. “Sans?”

 

“I'm okay, bro… Magic is hard.” Sans chuckles and pets Papyrus’ skull. 

 

“Okay, can you shut up?” growls Parz while trying to hide his head underneath a pillow. “You are so annoying!”

 

“But its morning!” chirped Suny. “We should be up!”

 

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation and, despite all the time they were here, Pyru shoves Suny behind him as he and Sans shifts to stand between their siblings and the line of sight from the door. The door opened and Grillby came into the room causing Sans and Pyru to instantly relax, their shoulders dropping with soft sighs.

 

“Good Morning, Children,” greets Grillby, smiling. “Did you sleep well?”

 

“Pyru fell out of the bed!” shouts Papyrus. 

 

“I'm okay,” mumbles Pyru but Grillby was already at his side, looking him over.

 

“Does something hurt?”

 

“No...” Pyru says and tensing a bit. He really liked Grillby, but he still hated it when somebody came to close without him initializing the action.

 

Grillby, noticing his discomfort, backed up.  “Okay. As soon as you hurt somewhere or feel bad, you tell me, okay?”

 

“Okay,” mumbles Pyru again. 

 

“Good...” Grillby replies, smiling and looking over all of the children. “How about you get clothed and come down stairs for breakfast? I have a surprise for you.”

 

“A surprise?” asks Suny with huge eyes, his magic activating to form little stars in his pupils. “What is it?”

 

“It won't be a surprise if I tell you, would it?” replies Grillby chuckling. “You'll find out soon enough.”

 

“Ohhh! Brothers, fast! I wanna know!” exclaims Papyrus. Together with Suny he was out of the bed and off to the closet. 

 

“Only one skeleton in the closet at a time!” Grillby reminded them.  
  
Giggling was the only response he received.

 

Sans and Pyru were climbing out of the bed too and even Parz and Saz were looking curiously towards Grillby. 

 

Grillby was smiling at them. He just loved their antics and quirks. He loved these CHILDREN so much.

 

After a few minutes of general confusion over which clothing belong to whom (with the children all roughly being the same height and age and have a lot of blue/red/orange clothes that get mixed up easily) everybody was ready to face the day. Even Parz and Saz looked a bit more awake, Saz even smiling a bit. 

 

Grillby smiled as he watched both of them walking easily behind the others. Both of them were hurt the most and their recovery was a long and difficult one. Seeing them free of their pain and lively like their brothers was just wonderful, even if Saz kept his strange habit to fall asleep frequently at random times and places. Grillby pouts at the thought. He would have to look into that at some point…

 

He herded the children downstairs and into the living room, barely able to contain his grin.

 

“SURPRISE!” shouts Swabby as soon as all of the children were gathered into the room, his body burning a bright yellow and illuminating the banner that read “Happy 1st Year with Flames” and the impressive birthday cake on the table.  
  
Fellby was standing by his side, not nearly as excited, but burning with a friendly blue and giving a somewhat nervous smile.

 

All six children stopped dead in their tracks and took it all in, obviously surprised.

 

“Happy Birthday,” said Grillby, moving in front of them too. 

 

“We didn't know your actual birthdays,” explains Swabby while he was coming over, a set of party hats in hand. “So we thought we’d just celebrate the day you came here. This year sure went by fast, huh?” he questions as he places the party hats on their heads.

 

“Yeah... Congratulations, squirts,” said Fellby, coming over too. He pauses when he notices that the little skeletons have not moved or said a word. “Hey, what's up with you?”

 

“Uh... Grillby?” began Suny, looking at him with big eyes. “What is a birthday?”

 

Three flame elementals were staring at six skeleton children, blank looks upon their faces. Each of them felt their heart breaking.

 

“Well... it's a celebration,” began Swabby, kneeling down so he was closer to Suny's height. “We celebrate once a year, on the same day that the person who the celebration is for, is alive and there.”

 

“There is a celebration for that?” asked Parz sceptically. “Really?”

  
“Yeah,” replies Fellby, nodding. He pets the skulls of Parz and Saz while grinning. “It's the only time where bright frosting isn’t so bad.”

 

“And what does one do on a birthday?” asked Sans. 

 

“Well, we eat cake together, have a lot of fun and you get presents,” explains Grillby while moving down to Sans' height too. “As Swabby said, we don't have the real date of when you came into this world, but you came into mine exactly one year ago and that is all the reason for a celebration that I need.”

 

Sans was tearing up at that and Grillby soon had two Skeletons hugging him. Swabby and Fellby were the same as far as he could tell from their or rather Fellby’s startled yelp. Grillby himself hugged Sans and Papyrus tightly. They were HIS children. He would always protect them. 

 

 

 

Things went a lot more smoothly from there.

 

With Fellby's and Swabby's help, all children were fed their pancakes and seated at the large table with the cake placed before them. They had put six candles on the cake due to the lack of knowledge of their real ages. Grillby guessed that they all raged from 6 to 9 years, but none of the children could give him an actual age since they never had seen outside of the lab before breaking out…

 

“What do we do with the candles?” asks Papyrus, looking at them curiously. 

 

“They look a bit like you,” giggled Suny, watching the flames on the candles flicker.

  
“Yeah... only two of you though,” comments Saz. He still had a light lisp after he lost a tooth and had it replaced with golden tooth moulded to resemble his other teeth.

 

For some reason, both Parz and Saz had sharper, more fanglike teeth compared with the other children. During the tooth incident, Fellby looked at the broken tooth and noticed that they had been manually sharpened at some point. The boys never talked about what had happened or how Saz suddenly had a golden tooth, but Grillby found a spot behind his house where all snow had been melted away and the ground underneath scorched.

 

“Where are the blue flames?” Saz continues, glancing up to Fellby.  


“Ugh” Fellby chokes and quickly looks away, his face becoming a soft purple.  
  
Grillby chuckles, one of his hands covering his mouth when he receives a glare from his cousin. “Normal flames aren’t blue,” he explains softly. “Fellby burns hotter than myself and Swabby. If we were to put that on the cake,” at this Grillby motions to the cake sitting on the table before them, “then the candles and icing would melt and it would become uneatable.”

 

Saz nods lightly. “Oh.”

 

“Well,” Swabby cuts in, returning to Papyrus’ earlier question, “the tradition is to blow out the candles, all at the same time, and make a wish. And it's said that this wish will come true one day.”

 

“Does the angel grant the wishes?” asks Papyrus, looking up at Swabby. “There IS fire. And the angel is asso... asososo...uh...” he struggled with the word. 

 

“Associated,” whispers Sans.

 

“Yeah, that!” Papyrus nodded and continues, “with fire, aren't they?”

 

Grillby exchanged a look with Fellby and Swabby. This was not the first time the children started to talk about the “angel”, more than likely meaning the one from the delta rune story. That they would be drawn to a story about a benevolent being that freed monsters was not surprising, but isolated as they were in the lab and most likely terrified on the run after, Grillby asked himself where they would have came across the story of the delta rune angel.

 

Well, at least they never heard the... darker interpretation of the legend. Let them have their hopeful story. 

 

“Uh... sure,” answers Swabby after a drawn out pause. “Nobody really knows who grants the wishes, but I suppose that it could be the angel.”

 

“So we have to blow out the candles and get a free wish?” asked Parz, grinning. “Sweet!”

 

“You bet, badbones,” answers Fellby grinning. “So think hard, a birthday wish is something special.”

 

There was some excited giggling from the children as they thought about the wishes they could get.

Getting them all around the cake was a bit challenging, but doable. Grillby was left holding up Papyrus whereas Swabby held onto Suny so that they two boys were at even heights with their siblings. 

 

“Okay, on the count of three,” Swabby begins, a large grin on his face. “One... two... THREE!”

 

All six of the children blew with all their might. All six candles went out in a puff of white smoke, earning the children a cheer from the three flame monsters.  
  
“And now the best part,” exclaims Swabby happily, moving to cut a slice of cake for each of the boys but is interrupted before the knife can even touch the icing-  
  
Fellby steps up to the table, between Saz and Parz chairs. “Yep for once Swabby’s right,” he adds, giving the children a wink over the edges of his sunglasses before reaching out and swiping his finger across the side of the cake, coating it in icing.  
  
“Hey!” Swabby yelps as Fellby licks the icing off.  
  
Grillby lets out a long sigh as all six children follow suit and swipe their fingers through the icing. “Quit corrupting the children.”

 

  
  


The rest of the day went along happily as well.  
  
They took the kids out into the forest and let them have a snowball fight; participating only with the protection of special suits which had cost a good amount of gold but the magic infused into them kept them safe from water burns for up to four hours. The fight shifted from bipedal snowball fight to playful wrestling in their dog form more than once.  
  
Saz and Parz successfully tackled Fellby earning them one of his rare, honest laughs. While Grillby and Swabby held themselves against the force of nature that was Suny and Papyrus, Sans and Pyru occasionally helping the younger boys out, but finally surrendered as they too were tackled to the ground.

 

Overall , it was a great day. 

 

The small beeping sound from the suits, a warning of the spell that kept them safe beginning to fade, finally ended the fun. After all, nobody wanted one of the flame elementals turning to dust during a harmless snowball fight.

 

Back at home, Grillby started some hot coco while Swabby and Fellby got the children out of their warm clothes. It did not seem as if the skeletons could actually feel the cold, but they didn't want to take a risk.

 

“What do we do now?” asked Saz while Fellby put him into a dark red and black stripped sweater, making sure that his teeth didn't catch in the fabric. 

 

“Well, I think Grills had some stuff planed out,” Fellby answers thoughtfully. “But I'm telling ya, the best part on the program will be the presents.”

 

“We get presents?” asked Parz, trying hard (and failing) at holding his excitement back. 

 

“Yep,” chirps Swabby while getting Suny into a blue and white stripped, long sleeved shirt. “But first: warm coco.”

 

It was a relief to know that these children did not have problems with monster chocolate similar to that of the other canine monsters. Their reaction to their first cup of coco was just too funny!

 

Finally, after all of them were changed into warm clothes and had a warm drink, they all went to sit in the living room, waiting for Grillby to come back with a basket full of colourful wrapped packets. One for each of them.

 

Sans got a new book, which a friend of Swabby found in the trash a few days ago. It was a colourful book full of pictures of space and the stars, looking almost like an atlas for the night sky.  
Papyrus got a red scarf. A beautiful thing, made from the softest material, however it was about three times as long as he were big. He loved it the instant he saw it.  
Suny was gifted with a stuffed bear that made a soft noise when hugged tightly. The soft noise could be heard constantly for days afterwards making it very easy to locate Suny whenever he seemed to have disappeared.  
Pyru got an empty notebook and new set of colourful crayons. With an extra green, orange and blue crayon added in since he seemed to prefer using those colours.  
Saz got a few comics (not manga Grillby had insisted) about superheroes. He seemed to like it after Parz commented that some of them looked cool.  
Parz himself got an action figure which spoke random phrases at the press of a button. The voice coming from the toy had startled him at first but the fact that he carried the figure with him wherever he went for the following days showed how much he adored the toy. 

 

The rest of the day was spent eating the remainder of the cake, playing with the gifts they received and being told some funny stories from Swabby while they sat around the fireplace. 

 

It was during this “story time ” that Grillby noticed Fellby looked more and more restless; the blue fire elemental finally standing up and exiting the room trying not to draw the attention of the children. 

 

And Failing.  
  


“Huh? Where is Fellby going?” questioned Parz, looking after the fire monster. 

 

Grillby stood a soft smile on his lips. “Just continue the story, alright?” he tells the gently. The sound of Swabby’s tale fades as he follows the blue shine of Fellby’s flame to the front door.  
  
There he was, putting on his coat, mumbling quiet curses under his breath. 

  
“Fellby,” calls Grillby, worry in his voice as he watches him. “Are you leaving so soon?”

 

“Yeah,” replies Fellby, half-glaring in Grillby’s general direction. “I just need to get away from all this... lovely-dovey shit. Look, I kept my promise,” he states, pulling on his coat. “I played nice little house with you, the brats and the ninny, but I just can't take it anymore! I need to get away for a bit.”

 

“... It meant a lot to the children for you to be here,” Grillby states gently, trying not to add any more pressure. “I thank you for staying.”

 

“Well...” Fellby mumbles, clearly not knowing how to respond. 

 

It was a reminder of the situation the night before. The children were already in bed when Grillby noticed some noise coming from the front door only to find Fellby trying to leave the house.

 

\--

 

“ _What are you_ _doing, Fellby?”_

 

“ _Ditching this place. There is no way in I'll gonna stay here and play fucking party guest for your little circle of bullshit,” the flame monster growled out. “Fuck I'm not a family man; you got Swabby for that shit.”_

_  
“No,” Grillby commands, glaring at him. “Listen. T_ _his means the world to them. YOU mean the world to the kids. So you stop being a coward this instant and stay put. Face the birthday of these kids that idolize you like an adult that you claim to be!”_

 

_Fellby blinked at him in shock. The promptly looked down at his boots, muttering to himself, “I hate parties.”_

 

“ _You don't have to like it,”_ _said Grillby, a bit softer. “Just be there. Just humour the kids a bit. Be civil for one day. If you want to leave after that, go ahead. But please don't ruin this for them. They’ve had enough bad things in their life without your bullshit.”_

 

_It took a long while until Fellby answered. “Fine,” he cursed and glared at Grillby. “But as soon as this shit is over I'm out of here.”_

 

“ _Very well.”_

 

_\---_

 

“I... I have to thank you,” Grillby repeats, his eyes still on Fellby. “For being here today. It meant a lot for the children.”

 

“Well...” said Fellby, awkwardly. “I'm sure fucking glad that the show is over.”

 

“Will you come back?” asked Grillby, unsure if he wanted to know the answer.

 

His cousin had been the first to show up on his doorstep after he had found the children. Due the seriousness of their injuries at the time, Grillby had texted both Swabby and whom he had meant to be his younger sister however due to an inadvertent misdialled he instead phoned Fellby for help. Yet, for reasons unknown to him even now, Fellby had shown up just hours later, in the dead of night no less, asking whose head he needed to beat in… though if it had not have been for the harsher flame, Grillby hates to admit it, but they could have very well lost two of the children within the days that had followed. Therefore, he decided back then that perhaps it was best to allow Fellby to stay despite his protests of disliking children and, as his cousin would say, “Lovey-dovey” things.

 

“Maybe,” he states seemingly in deep thought. “I... don't know.”

  
“I see,” whispers Grillby before smiling softly. “You are always welcome here, you know?”

  
“Yeah, sure,” said Fellby without any elan, shrugging. “I'm out.” And with these words he opened the door and stepped outside, his blue flame fading slowly into the distance.  
  
Grillby sighed and closed the door, returning to the living room. The story seemed to have been concluded and six pairs of eyes fell upon him, an unspoken question about Fellby within their depths. 

 

Grillby felt himself smiling, speaking in a calming voice. “Fellby just needs a bit fresh air, children. He is very tired so we will not be seeing him again today.”

 

“Really?” questions Saz, disappointment clearly in his voice. “Aww...”

 

“Don't worry,” Swabby tells the small boy, petting over his skull, “he'll be back.” A small chuckle escapes him as he leans down and takes Saz into his arms. “He’s a big softy at heart after all. Come on, I'll tell you one last story before bed time, okay?”

 

 

 

Putting the children to bed was exceptionally easy this day. The day had been long and exciting, so much so that even Suny and Papyrus seemed all tuckered out. 

 

“Grillby?” asked a very tired sounding Sans after a while. “Do... birthday wishes really come true?”

 

“Well... it is said so,” answered Grillby diplomatically, smiling softly while he tugged Sans in. “Why do you ask?”

 

“I really want for my wish to come true...”

 

“I wished for a fun day, I guess that came true,” comments Parz barely able to stifle the yawn. “It was the best.”

 

“Yeah,” agrees Saz, giggling. “It was fun playing with Fellby.”

 

“What did you wish?” asks Sans, looking over to his brother.

 

“I wished for Fellby to have fun with us,” Saz replies quickly, then blinks a few times as a large smiles spreads across his face. “Wow that came true, too!”

 

It became very hard for Grillby to not laugh at that statement.

 

“I wished for more birthdays! Like... everyday!” exclaimed Papyrus. 

 

“Uh... pretty sure it doesn't work like that, bro...” Sans chuckles.

 

“Well, you don't know until you try!”

 

“ok...”

 

“I wished for... some peace and quiet,” yawns out Pyru, his eyes closing as he falls asleep. 

 

“And I wished for Fellby and Swabby to get along better!” chipped in Suny, crossing his little arms. “They need to hug more. Grillby and Fellby too!”

 

“Yeah,” said Sans, smiling. 

 

Grillby laughs and continues tucking the kids in.

 

Saz was already asleep as well, having nodded off somewhere during the conversation. Parz was following him soon after, being exhausted from the day of trying to coarse Fellby into playing in the snow with everyone. Suny and Papyrus settled down after a few gentle pets and kisses to their skulls. Only Sans was awake now, his eyes tired but he looked so very happy at the moment. 

 

“What did you wish for?” asked Grillby, petting his skull softly as well, hoping to send him off to peaceful dreams. 

 

“Hmm… that we could stay here... forever,” mumbled Sans in between drifting off.  
  
Grillby wasn’t sure how long he sat there simply watching the children sleep, but he promised “Forever” soothingly.


	4. First Impressions: The Angel of Snowdin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why out of anybody in Snowdin did Sans choose Grillby to go for help?
> 
> This is the story how Grillby and the skellepuppys first met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the fluff? Look, this is... a bit fluff and a bit angst. We are going here a bit into worldbuilding/Lore of this delightful AU.

One of Sans' earliest memories was that of a voice. A gentle voice telling him a story while something warm surrounded him and his brother. He came to associate the gentle voice with the warmness, the feeling of being safe and content.

He could not remember the stories the voice told completely, however he remembered the important parts, which he later on filled in with details of his own whenever Papyrus (or much later on, his other siblings) asked for the story.

 

There was an angel. A gentle spirit from the surface; shrouded in light and warmness. They would come down the mountain, come down to the Underground, and would free all monsters, giving them back their hope. Give them back the sun and the stars in the night sky. The angel would be made of light, love, and compassion just like a monster’s soul. They would take away all of the darkness, all the pain and sadness. The angel would offer them love and hope.

 

Sometimes, much, much later, Sans would lay awake and wonder if the voice he had heard back then was actually an angel. An angel that gave Papyrus and himself warmness and light and hope. Taught them knowledge of the world outside the lab, gave them the stories that told them of freedom and how _every_ monster deserved this freedom…

 

When the door opened that fateful day, Sans could swear he had heard the voice of the angel and felt its warmth. Papyrus believed that the angel had come to free them and give them a hope which neither of them could remember having.

 

Sans held onto this hope during their escape. Refusing to let it slip from his hands.

 

If not for himself then for his young brother… or rather “brothers” now.

 

It was stressful.

 

He had suddenly five brothers instead of one. Two of them were so hurt they could barely stand on their own let alone walk. And Papyrus and Suny were still so little, still needed warmth and shelter they did not have. Pyru, on the other hand, was healthy as far as Sans could tell, just incredibly scared and worried, they all were. Pyru helped him in carrying the two injured brothers and looked after the younger two while Sans went out searching for food.

 

They ran as fast and far as they dared.

 

They left the lab, making it into a city. There were so many houses and monsters, Sans had not known there could be so many monsters! They stayed within the city only for a night; stealing food and clothing whenever they could, careful not to take much, they did not want anybody finding them. As soon as night fell once more, they left the city feeling unsafe when they spotted a man in a lab coat just like... that man.

 

They ran through a very hot place with glowing lava all around. It was a dangerous place. They passed through as quickly as they possibly could; their white bones would be far too easy to spot against the red landscape.

 

Next came upon a dark, wet place. They stayed here for a few days allowing the younger ones to rest and trying to tend to the injuries of Saz and Parz. There was a lot of water in this area but hardly any food. It seemed as though not many monsters lived here and most of the ones who did were aquatic. However, Sans managed to find an old turtle who was selling apples and tea at a stand. He stole a few apples when he thought the monster wasn’t paying attention, he did this often for the few days in which they stayed, though one day the old turtle surprised him and handed him a small basket filled with food. Sans was hesitant but the old monster seemed friendly enough and did not try to follow him when he ran, leaving the food behind. It was just too much; the old turtle stared at Sans with a knowing look and... it terrified him.

 

What if he told the man in the lab that they were here…

 

They ran again.

 

Running aimlessly through a dark place, bumping into walls and getting several scraps along the way… until they were able to see the light again. And a lot of white! It was quiet beautiful; light shimmering off untouched ground, trees and other plants all around them.

 

The memories of the gentle voice told him that he was looking at snow. Frozen water.

 

The place was cold.

 

Fortunately, there was a little town. Not too many monsters but enough that there was plenty of food in metal cans out to the side of the houses. The forest nearby gave them shelter where Pyru and Sans could safely leave their brothers for a few hours if need be.

 

He wasn’t sure why, maybe it was because everything was white, but Sans liked this place. They were so far away from the lab that it seemed like a distant bad dream. They had shredded their gowns, ones they had been forced to wear in the lab, as soon as they got out, using the material to make makeshift bandages for the wounds of their hurt brothers as well as something to secure them along with the younger brothers on their back when they run in their quadrupedal form.

 

In Snowdin (Sans had heard some monster calling the town this name), Pyru found a few scraps of soft cloth and Sans gathered twigs and branches from the nearby trees, as heavy as he could manage, with which they built a nest out of. It was not the best shelter out there but it kept their bothers warm, hidden from the falling snow. Pyru and Sans took turns in hunting for food and standing guard over their brothers.

 

They spent a few weeks doing this.

 

…Until

 

“Sans?” asked Papyrus one evening when Sans came back with a cup of what could have been old noodles, looking up fearfully. “S… Saz won't talk to me anymore. I... I'm scared.”

 

That sign was bad, worse than he had feared. Saz's and Parz's breathing had become erratic. Like this, they would not be able to take in enough magic from the air to sustain their form much longer… His brothers were starting to fall down.

 

Suny begun crying at one point, trying in vain to wake the still monsters, get them to eat or do ANYTHING.

 

Pyru tried his best to consult him but he looked haunted himself, barely holding himself together.

 

Sans dropped the cup, turned on his heel and run into the town.

 

Sure, it was risky but there must be SOME way. He wanted to find a way to help them. He NEEDED to find a way. Some way, any way! They were his brothers, nearly identical to him and Papyrus. Only… they were hurt… they were dying…

 

Yet… there was no angel. No one showed up to help.

 

But… if the angel wouldn't show themselves to them, Sans wanted to give them hope and warmth. Sans really, really wished he could! However, he was not an angel. He was not made of light or warmth… He was only bones and magic.

 

So he was searching for something... anything. Anything was better than being useless, looking on while somebody else got hurt, being unable to help somebody while they were in distress...

 

It was beginning to get dark yet Snowdin was a glimmering with light. Some houses had turned on their lights. One house, Sans knew well because it had the most food he’d ever seen out in the metal bins, even had letters on one wall that where shining bright in the night.

 

But what caught Sans' eyes was a person standing in front of the building that night.  
Sans had never seen anything like that before.

The person had a vague humanoid shape: two legs, two arms and a head. They were clothed in shoes, pants, and a very nice shirt. However, their body was blazing. Orange-red flames were flickering and forming fingers, hair… a whole body!  
The light emitted from the man was enough to brighten up their surroundings, making the snow sparkle like thousands of tiny diamonds.

 

A person made entirely out of warmth and light!

 

For the first time in seemingly forever, Sans smiled. He was sure of it, he just found an angel!

 

\--

 

Grillby was a pragmatic person. His schedule was pretty much set in stone day in and day out. He woke up early, prepared the bar for the breakfast rush and worked until after lunchtime. Then he would clean up the bar and reopen at dinnertime until his last guests left to go home then he would close and lock the doors before heading to his home. And do it all over again the next morning.

 

There was not much excitement in his life. To be honest, he liked it that way.

 

It was peaceful. The people of Snowdin were very friendly and his business let him live comfortably.

 

The only downside was that he had not much social contact outside of his regulars; a good barkeeper knows to stay silent and let the costumers do the talking. However, often he would catch himself looking at his phone and having impulses to call his family. Though the only one he had regular contact with was a sister of his, whose child sometimes came over to Snowdin for a mini vacation.

 

Nevertheless, he would not complain. This was a good life for him.

 

There was not much here that had reminded him of his LOVE.

 

Though something had rifted through his trash twice this week. Grillby was still a bit baffled at that. As far as he knew, there were not any large animals living around here and the dogs usually behaved themselves. As far as he knew, there weren’t any monsters in Snowdin that went hungry because he and the Innkeeper both would let monsters eat even if they had no money… They just had to ask for it.

 

Grillby still remembers the days of the war. Children in tears, covered with the dust of their parents, trying to hide during the day and sneak out after sunset, searching for anything that could pass off as food.

He remembers starving himself, feeling his flames burning low and his magic struggling to keep his humanoid form. He remembers eating human foods that tasted horrible but gave him just enough energy to get going. He remembers eating wood and pinecones in the hopes that it would keep his fire burning just a little longer… It didn't help much.

He remembers seeing some monsters turn to dust in front of him due to the lack of healing magic and food. He remembers the mass-produced “Dog residues” that was literal garbage, yet was the only thing keeping most monsters going…  
That’s why he decided to fight. Why he became a solider.

 

Thus the culprit remained a mystery but the Guard dogs promised him to keep an eye open.

 

He was in the process of locking up the bar when he heard something behind him. There were steps in the snow, but something was odd about them. At first, it sounded like two-feet-two-feet, typical for monsters who prefer to walk on four feet, but it changed mid-way into a shuffle of only two sounds like a monster that was bipedal.

 

Grillby turned and saw a small child come running towards him. A skeleton child, barely as high has his hip, with a rounded skull and white pinprick eyes. The few cloths that it was wearing were barely scraps. And on its face were a track of blue tears.

 

“Hello?” asks Grillby, looking at the child who was staring up at him. “I don't remember seeing you around here.”

 

“P...Please you got to help my bros, angel,” pleads the child, the voice sounded male (?) and what they said was the most confusing thing Grillby had ever heard. During his long, long life, he was never called an “angel”.

 

But there was a young child in front of him and they looked so cold and... were those CRACKS in his bones? Had they just said something about brothers?

 

Grillby crouches down to the boys (?) eye-level. His flames illuminating the body of the child. Yes, there were many cracks, some signs of healing without proper magic. Yet the child continued to stare at him with a mix of wonder, hope and… fear.

 

“What kind of help do you need?” Grillby a\questions as gently as he could. “And... your brothers? Where are they?”

 

“They... they got hurt,” mumbles the child, fresh tears shimmering in his eyes. “Please... I... I'll do anything! Really… I'll be good. I don't even need anything. But please help my brothers!” he continued to beg. “Please!”

 

This child’s little speech alone was enough to break his heart.

 

“Calm down,” whispers Grillby, trying to soothe the boy. “I'll help you. Just show me where they are.”

 

The boy lit up and begun running towards the forest. Halfway through something incredible happened. The boy made a long jump and his bones begun SHIFTING, rearranging themselves and reforming, exchanging humanoid features for more beastly ones. At the end of the transformation, a small dog like bone creature was running in front of him at an impressive speed.

 

Grillby nearly stumbled from the surprise.  
Skeleton monsters were pretty rare these days, as far as he knew, due to their difficulties in conceiving and the fact that the humans had pretty much killed all of them out of fear of their strong magic and the fact that most of the skeletons at the time were guards within the royal army. From Grillby’s unit, only one skeleton returned home with him. He had been heavily damaged and fell down shortly after the barrier went up. Their name was Gautami; they had been a tiny little creature in life yet Grillby considered them his friend. He had never felt so sick as the day when Gautami’s mate, a fragile looking cat monster, came to him with the sad news and thanked him for being such a good friend for all these years.

Even more shocking was the display of the shape shifting ability. A magical talent that was thought to have been brought to extinction by the human armies.

 

Yet here was a child who changed into a bone dog beast like nothing right in front of him!

 

His mind racing, Grillby followed the child to a small, obviously self-made, shelter.

 

Another skeleton child seemed to be standing guard in front of said shelter. This child seemed to be a bit taller than the first and had more of an oval shaped skull with a prominent jaw.

 

Through an opening in the shelter, Grillby could see at least two other skeleton children. Those two looked almost like tiny replicas of the two outside. Upon further inspection, Grillby could make out an unmoving mass lying behind the two held within the shelter.

 

The first child just shifted back and run up to their brother, who looked up in shock.

  
“Sans? Are you- “ the boy stopped mid-sentence as soon as he saw Grillby. “W...Who is that?”

 

“He said he would help!”

 

“Really?” the taller boy questions.

 

Now there were two pairs of hopeful eyes on him.

 

“Yes.”, said Grillby, because really, what else should he say?

 

Later, after he got the children into his home, he quickly fixed them something to eat yet the two children who had been lying down upon his arrival at the makeshift shelter refused food. They were too tired to even try to eat, their bodies far to injured… The two were on Death’s door.  
Grillby fought back his panic, putting the children to bed in his guest room.  


He had no idea what to do.

 

He had very little experience with children, even less so with ones who had seen such abuse…

 

Grillby stood by the stairs, staring at nothing.

 

He would need help. But who could he trust when he didn’t even know where these poor children originated from?

 

His family. Yes, family helped one another at times like these.  
Grillby pulled out his phone and sent out two text to two family members that might be able to help: the first to his sister who would know how to handle young children and the next to his cousin, Swabby, who ran a high end restaurant and knew how to make food items with high quality healing properties.

 

There wasn’t much he knew about the children. They were literally six mystery kids that came out of nowhere; all of them hurt in some way or another. There were some implications that were made, there were signs Grillby recognised easily for a heavy past trauma that went deeper than a ‘bad fall’. They were confused over everyday things and so very tired.

 

What got him most was the begging of the two oldest, Pyru and Sans. Begging him to help their brothers, the two who were hurt and the two smaller ones. They begged, said they would do anything, they would sleep outside to not be a bother, they wouldn't need food or anything, they just wanted for their brothers to be safe and well.

 

It took a while to convince them that he did not expect any sort of repayment for his kindness and that his home and food extended to all six of them. The disbelieve on their faces nearly broke him completely.

 

Nevertheless, they were sleeping now; huddled together in a pile on the bed in his guest room.

 

Whatever had happened, it would be a long, hard way for all of them.

 

He closed the door, slowly walking out of his house and into the small backyard. He took a deep breath and let his flames shift in colour. Red-orange to red, to blue, to nearly white. He didn't scream or cry. He just… let go. He felt his LOVE heavy on his soul; the desire to HUNT and to HURT whoever had done this to these children!

 

But Sans, the first child, called him an angel…

 

And there was only one legend about an angel.

The Angel of the Delta rune, a symbol of hope that would set all monster free one day. But there was a dark side to the story, too. Freedom could be archived one of two ways; the barrier could shatter or they could all die, freed from the burden of existing.

In the last few years, more and more monsters seemed to believe that the second interpretation was the most likely one.

 

Grillby asked himself what he was supposed to be in the great scheme of things.

 

An avatar of destruction or the hopeful entity?

 

Sans' eyes had been large and hopeful. No doubt, in the boy’s mind, he had found the angel he was searching for; somebody that would help them, despite everything.

 

Grillby would do his best to live up to the name.

His flames called down until they reverted back into a gentle red-orange flicker within in the darkness.

He was not a “hero” or a man of war anymore.

He left that behind.

He didn't do this anymore.

 

He had a new identity and apparently, a new task.

Being a Guardian Angel seemed to be a good job alternative.

 

He swore to himself that he would protect and help these children in any way he could.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only hours later would Fellby knock at Grillbys door and demand to know whose head he had to bash in or if he should hide some dust. Half a day later, Swabby would arrive. And this was the start of something beautiful for everybody.
> 
> Also: Monster in this AU can eat human food, but it's not the best for them. Grillby eating wood or something like that is the same as humans trying to eat paper. On the long run, monster need their monster food which is infused with magic to survive. The "Dog residue" was a product made by the temmies during the war. It was just random stuff infused with magic. It kept monsters going but really, it was garbage.


	5. The Healer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you like the fluff of the last chapters? Yeah... this one is angst again. And it's... heavy.  
> Okay, it's Fellby-centric, we get a nice view into his past and... it's not pretty.  
> I'm serious, trigger warning for torture here. ((We both enjoy hurting Fellby a bit to much... :D)
> 
> But bear with us, the next chapter will be a happy one again! (I hope)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Young!Fellby is about 16/17 years old.  
> The "present" time is roughly 2 years after the skele-puppys came into Grillbys life.

 

 

 

 

It started with a cave-in. He would have never thought that something like this would change his entire life as he knew it.

 

 

Fellby was an adventurous kid and loved exploring, fantasying about being a famous explorer and discovering of the secrets of the earth. He loved caves and old mines the most, his bright flame illuminating the dark and causing the minerals and crystals within to glitter and shine in his glow.

 

His parents had warned him from going near the human territories ever since the battles broke out but he felt pretty safe that day, venturing deeper and deeper into a cavern he had discovered only days before.

 

He was getting farer into the mountain than ever before, believing to be halfway through when he heard some strange sounds and felt a vibration coursing through the stone around him. Was it an earthquake? He stumbled to the floor, holding his hands over his head until he felt the vibration stop.

 

When he rose to his feet, Fellby saw light coming from behind a turn in the tunnel he had not realized was there previously and, curious as he was, he risked a look.

 

He left out a soft gasp, quickly covering his mouth so that no noise would escape him.

 

Humans!

 

There were at least five humans, all of them armed with a pike, mining in the cave.

 

Fellby had never seen a human in his life! His village was hidden away in the mountains, not even most monsters knew about its location or so his parents had told him. Moreover, with the recent news of the battles spreading across the land, he knew it was dangerous, that humans were dangerous but... his curiosity got the best of him.

 

Maybe, if he kept himself hidden, he could at least watch them a while. They didn't seem very dangerous to him anyway.

 

Another tremor shook the ground. The humans looked up, worry on their faces. One of them spoke, “It’s too dangerous here. We should leave before the whole cave collapses.”

 

Three of them agreed, stopped work and made their way to the exit.

 

One last human stayed behind, looking around the area. For a slit second, he looked over where Fellby was hiding. Their eyes met. The human looked surprised, opening his mouth.

 

The earth shook, a great deal stronger than before, and there were stones coming from the ceiling. The human begun to scream and ran. Fellby too rushed back in panic but there was dirt and dust everywhere impairing his vision.

 

For a moment, there was chaos. Large chunks of rock falling to the floor, scattering thick dust into the air and rolling with the vibrations of the tremors. The dust blacked out the light and, even with his own flame, Fellby could barely make out anything before him.

 

Then… everything stopped. When the dust finally settled, there was a wall of stone in front of him.

 

A little noise, filled with pain, gained his attention.

 

The human had not made it out of the cave. They were lying in front of him, half-crushed by the fallen stones. A thick, dark liquid was seeping out from under them turning the floor red.

 

Fellby knelt down, looking the human in the eyes. The human stared back.

 

\--

 

_It all started with a cave-in. A very stupid cave-in, but it... changed things._

 

 

_Parz and Saz wanted to train their magi_ _c. Seeing that is was pretty strong and destructive, they opted to go into Waterfalls so that no monsters would be harmed should something go wrong._

 

_And, of course, something went wrong._  
  
The cave they were practic _ing in came down on them after a mild earthquake._

 

_Fellby_ _did not even know about their adventure until one of the ghosts that lived in that area came to Snowdin looking for Grillby. However, they found him instead._

 

“ _Fellby!” the ghost exclaimed, floating over to him in a panic. “Fellby, oooh... it's terrible! Awful!”_

_  
“What do you want now?” he snaps, already annoyed with the ghost. “I'm busy._ _”_

 

“ _No! Fellby, it's the kids!”_

 

“ _... What?”_

 

“ _There was a cave-in and...”_

 

“ _WHAT?”_

 

“ _They are alive, we think, just...”_

 

“ _Tell. Me. Where.” He had trouble keeping his voice calm._

 

_He ran as soon as he knew the location._

 

 

_Waterfall was beautiful. A dark maze made out of caves and tunnels, rivers and waterfalls. The glowing crystals illuminating everything in a fine shade of blue. They reminded Fellby of the stars at night on the surface and like shimmering minerals in the old mines he explored in his childhood._

 

The water hurts.

 

_It was always raining in one of the main tunnels and_ _most of the caverns were doused with a fine spray of water from the waterfalls. Yet Fellby paid them no mind._

 

_There were kids (Grillby’s kids, his kids!) in danger and he had to get to them **RIGHT FUCKING NOW!**_

 

_There was no way that something like a little water would stop him!_

 

_He ran_ _, water sizzling when it hit him and his flames hissing in protest._

 

_He found the cave, a massive wall of loose stone blocking the entrance. He felt his core, his soul constricting painfully as he feared for the worse._

 

“ _Brats!” he shouted. “Kids! Parz, Saz! You had better answer me! Can you hear me?”_

 

_For a few terrifying moments, there was nothing. Complete silence._

 

_It froze him to the core. No, no, no, please no..._

 

_Then there was a faint shuffle behind_ _the wall and he heard a small whine._

_  
“F...F_ _ellby?” asked a faint voice._

 

_Fellby knew by now what somebody in pain sounded like. In pain and afraid… maybe even in tears. Despite everything, he felt relieved._

 

“ _Fellby, h...help! Its... Parz, I think he's... he's...”_

 

“ _Calm down kid! I'll get you! Just... just stay calm, alright?”_

 

_There was no reply._

 

_Fellby looked at the massive stones in fro_ _nt of him. A solid wall between himself and the children._

 

“ _Fuck,” he cursed. “God fucking damn it!” His flames were burning brighter, turning his hands and the tips of his head purple. The air hissed from the heat and Fellby let out a cry as he focused his magic into his hands. “GIVE ME MY KIDS BACK!” and he begun melting the stone away._

 

_\--_

 

Fellby was staring at the human and the human was staring back, pain in his eyes. The human was strangely silent, opting to glare at him.

 

Fellby wondered why this human’s eyes were brown. They should have been orange for bravery.

 

His felt his magic stirring; his flames were beginning to change. Soft green begun spreading from his core, slowly seeping into his extremities.

 

The human kept watching silently. The green of Fellby’s flames was a stark contrast to the red blood on the ground.

 

Fellby crouched down and looked the human in the eyes, tried to smile and seem friendly. “I can help you, human,” he said, voice soothing and soft like the tiny flame of a candle. “But you have to trust me.”

 

The human was still looking at him for what seemed like eternity, in silence. Then they gave a light nod and Fellby sighed in relief.

 

He reached out and begun moving the stones away from the human, freeing him. It took a long time but he managed it. His flames stayed gentle green.

 

_\--_

 

_He was digging at the stones like a maniac and cursing as his magic flickered, but damn it he wanted his kids back! This stupid fucking world had taken so much from him; he will not let anything or anyone take anything else from him ever again!_

 

_Finally, finally, he found a hollow room behind this one stone and he quickly pulled more rocks free so that he could look into what was left of the collapsed cave. The room was not very big, in fact there was barely enough space for the two skeletons that were in there._

 

_He could barely make out Saz laying on the ground, the boy clearly in tears, the red glow of his left eye dimmed and watered down. He was holding onto Parz, who was in his other form, all long and strong boned with terrifying might, but now still and silent._

 

_Saz_ _looked up when the light fell into his eyes and noticed Felly. His face betraying his anguish. “He... he shielded me,” he shuttered out, trying so hard to suppress his sobs but Fellby could hear them in his voice. “He shielded me. I... I would have been dust.”_

 

_Three of the children would never have a HP count over 10. Fellby knew that Parz knew that. He had most likely taken the damage because he had a chance of surviving it whereas his brother did not._

 

_Fellby always told them not to be hero_ _es…_

 

_Nevertheless,_ _they were alive and he was glad._

 

“ _Hold still,” he mutters softly, trying to calm the boy. “I get you out.”_

 

_Saz kept looking at him, his eyes shimmering with_ _hope._

 

_It gave Fellby the resolve to go on._

 

_\--_

 

He freed the human but they were badly hurt. Cuts and scrapes parts that were... squashed. They made strange noises full of pain and fear, but they kept watching him. Perhaps they were afraid they were going to die here and didn’t want to be left alone?

 

“You humans are very strong,” comments Fellby while he was moving one of the large boulders away, “and determined. You won’t die here, human.”

 

The human said nothing.

 

Fellby crouched by the human’s side once he had pushed what he could away. “Just... hold still please. This will... uh... I have no idea how this will feel. But it'll help, I promise!” he said, closing his eyes and concentrating.

 

The green aura overtaking his flames grew stronger, engulfing him before concentrating in his hands. Deep within his core, his soul begun to shine with a green light; the pure green of kindness.

 

Healing magic was a rare talent amongst monsters. Even rarer amongst fire elementals; fire was suppose to burn and cause destruction not heal. However, somehow, Fellby had been blessed with the ability and was actually quite good at it. He often healed the other children within the village whenever they got injuries while playing and had once even healed Pullix’s, the village’s oldest farmer, cow when it broke it’s leg climbing the mountain side looking for clover. He rather liked healing others and his parents expected him to become a great healer in time. (Maybe it was even something he could combine with his desire to explore? Fellby had many, many dreams about this possible futures.)

 

Though… He never healed a human before. He wasn’t even sure if a monster’s magic would work on a human’s body. But it was worth a shot. He just had to try! He wanted to help them. And maybe, with this bit of kindness, even the battles would stop... and monsters could live peacefully beside humans once more.

 

He concentrated more and PULLED at his magic, pouring it out onto the human, forcing it into their body and soul.

 

The human shuddered but didn't seem to be in pain any more.

 

Fellby felt encouraged by that and continued.

 

The cave wall was glowing with green light.

 

\--

 

_He finally, finally got to the chil_ _dren._

 

_Saz was shaking and now Fellby could see he was badly hurt too. Broken bones and a cracked skull._

 

_Fellby_ _’s check ability was rusty after years of non-use but even an idiot could see that both of them had precious little HP left._

 

_Parz had clearly taken the brute of the force; his back was a mess, his skull was missing a few edges and protrusions, his tail was smashed as were his feet._

 

_Fellby was never so glad that monsters did not bleed. He could not panic now; he had to get them to safety. Back home. He had to get them home. But…_

 

_They would not make it as they were. He had to do something NOW._

 

_He hesitated._

 

_He had sworn to himself that he would never use his ability again. Never let anyone know that he had such an ability… though he had already broken that promise once with the children, more than once… However, if he were to do so again, then this time the kids would know._

 

_He looked at them. It really did not matter anymore. This was important. THEY were important._

 

_He closed his eyes and called for the seldom-used magic. To the colour closed off to his soul._

 

_Green light answered him and he concentrated what little he had on the skeletons before him._

 

_Bones melted together. HP was filling up. Not much but it was enough to last them until they got home._

 

_He poured all he had left of his kindness in_ _to healing the children._

 

_He_ _would not let them die! He would not let anything take what little happiness he had left from him!_

 

_The cavern was glowing in a green light._ _Fellby’s soul was fuelled with desperation._

 

_\--_

 

Fellby healed the human as best as he could, feeling a bit light headed from using so much magic. It was strange but it seemed to have worked and he was very happy about that.

 

The human looked surprised, but smiled a bit. They shook his hand repeatedly and Fellby felt as though this was the start of a good friendship.

 

They walked out of the mountain together, talking to one another as Fellby showed them the way. The human still had a limp so Fellby loaned them his shoulder until they managed upon a branch that the human deemed the right size for a walking cane.

 

They spoke of many things.

 

The human came from a village on the other side of the mountain. They spoke of their wife whom they loved and their child who was a bit younger than Fellby himself. And in turn, Fellby told them about his village, hidden away in the mountains, and of his own family.

 

The human thanked him for healing them and Fellby felt his face break into a huge smile. He told the human about how he wanted to become a healer like his great grandfather was said to be.

 

They only stopped when they got to a clearing on the mountainside, both of them shielding their eyes from the sunlight.

 

The human shuffled awkwardly with his feet, looking over the treetops. “I uh…” the began, rubbing the back of their head, “should really get back home. You uh… your village far from here?”  
  
“No,” Fellby replies innocently, smiling up at his new friend. “We’re just over that hill there. Maybe we can see each other again?”

 

The human chuckled. “Sure kid.”  
  
They parted ways and Fellby went home, a skip in his step.

 

Maybe this was how it felt… being a hero.

 

\--

 

_He had them healed enough to risk moving them. Parz was still out_ _of it and Saz was very weak, so Fellby let Saz hold on to his back while he carried Parz, being grateful for them only being made out of bone and light as hell._

 

_As soon as he was sure that they were secure against him, he begun running._

 

_The shortes_ _t distance between them and Grillby’s home was through a rain-tunnel, but he did not care. He did not have enough arms to grab an umbrella and he did not want to waste time trying to hold onto one while carrying the children. He braced himself and ran right through._

 

_Water burned his body like acid_ **(It hurts, it hurts so much.)** _but he gritted his flame-teeth and kept running, concentrating on not dropping the boys, not letting them see his pain… not screaming. He could do this. He could take it._

 

_This was not the first time water had touched him._

 

_\--_

 

For the next two weeks, life went on normally.

 

Fellby helped his parents around the house, attended class at the small schoolhouse, played with the other children of the village and so on. Though he had not gone back to the mines in this time, still a little spent from using his magic yet he remained proud of himself for doing so even if he could not tell his parents about the event. He did not want them to worry after all.

 

The attack came during the night.

 

No one was prepared.

 

There was a smash outside which woke him with a jolt. He was confused at first, hearing shouting and people crying outside his window. When he dared look, Fellby saw that humans were running through the streets attacking who ever got in their way. Monsters being turned to dust… so he hid, afraid.

 

It was not long before he heard his own door creak open and he was yanked out from under his bed where he had hidden and was drug to the living room. The first thing he noticed was that his parents were bound together on the ground, both of their HP in a critical zone, looking up panicked as the men forced him into the room.

 

There was a large human standing in front of his parents, glaring at him and Fellby felt himself tremble under the harsh stare. “Is that it?” the man barked out and only then did Fellby notice that there was another human standing behind the man.  
  
His eyes widened as he recognised them, feeling his soul and heart break. The human from the mountain, the one he healed just weeks before, that he thought was his friend…

 

The human looked towards him, not meeting his eyes, and gave a nod.  
  
The harsher looking human in front of Fellby grinned widely. “Good. I hate to waste resources on a wild goose hunt. Get rid of the rest.”

 

“NO!” screamed Fellby as he watched two other humans attack his parents. “NO! NO STOP!” He couldn’t understand what was happening, why the humans were doing this to them… He continued to beg, watching in horror as his parents HP lowered bit by bit. “PLEASE STOP!”

 

They did not listen.

 

His parents turned to dust, raining down upon the ground.

 

Fellby felt hot tears streaming down his face.

 

No… this could not be happening… this had to be a nightmare! He would wake up and his parents would be there, still be alive! His mother would sing a lullaby to him… they… they couldn’t just die!

 

His flames burned brighter, more purple than blue, as he screamed in grief and disbelief.

  
“Oh, a feisty one, huh?” grinned the harsher human, taking something out of his rucksack. “Maybe we should teach it some manners.” He moved closer, reaching out to Fellby.

 

Water sizzled against the flames of his arm and he screamed out before he could stop himself. He had never felt such immense pain before. He screamed for anyone to help him, to make it stop…

 

But… nobody came.

 

He lost consciousness.

 

That was the last time he would ever seen his home.

 

\--

 

_He ran all the way to Snowdin. His mind_ _and soul was screaming._

 

_He_ _took a lot of damage and was once more reminded that, despite everything, his LOVE was not very high._

 

_The sensation of burning water sizzled in his mind, pulling out unwanted memories. He kept it bottled up as best as he could, screaming at himself to move, to get the children home. Now was NOT the time to fall apart!_

 

_It was snowing_ _today but in the distance, Fellby could see two lights: One a soft yellow and the other a red-orange in colour._

 

_He felt himself stumble over something on the ground and fell down, only having enough thought to keep the children from being crushed or otherwise hurt under his weight._

 

_There was a scream in the distance. He didn’t have enough energy to see what had happened._

 

“ _Grills… Swabby…” he calls out for help, his voice weak and quiet even to his own ears._

 

_The lights were coming nearer._

 

_But…_

 

_He lost consciousness._

 

_\--_

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Fellby lost all sense of time.

 

He was kept in closed off rooms all the time, always with a source of water nearby. It terrified him, didn't let him sleep.

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Most of the time, he was bound. Held with something that cut into his magic, making it so that his flames would not burn the material that kept him captive.

 

Sometimes, a human would come and give him something to eat. It was human food at best and bare wood at worst. The humans laughed as he choked on a piece of bark, calling him horrible names. The lack of real food and having his magic bound took its toll, leaving his body weakened.

 

He was still waiting, hoping to wake up from the nightmare.

 

On the fifth day, the humans brought other humans to him; two children and five grown men all of which had serve injuries. The men were all decked out, they looked like soldiers.

 

“Heal them!” ordered the human who seemed to be in charge, the same human who had issued the deaths of his parents. Fellby never found out his name, instead he named him “Red” in his head due to the fact that the man’s face would turn an ugly shade of red whenever he shouted something.

 

Fellby’s hands were released and he was forced into a kneeling position before the first injured human.

 

“HEAL THEM!” screamed Red.

 

Fellby shutters, trembling in fear. He felt tears willing up in his eyes, making everything go fuzzy. “I... I can't!” he sobbed. “I can't. I don't have the magic, there’s to many... I… I'm sorry...”

 

A spray of water burned his back, causing him to scream again.

 

The injured human in front of him looked worse than before, hanging their head while the others were looking angrily at him, making fists with their hands.

 

Red stormed over, kicking Fellby’s shoulder. “I said you fucking heal them!” he shouted into his face. “Heal them or I dust you worthless monster, just like I did with the others!”

  
Fellby sniffed, trying to stop his trembling as he reaches out to the injured human. Calling for Kindness, calling for his healing magic was hard. Extremely so. It felt as though he was trying to rip his very soul apart. He healed one human and moved on to the second, collapsing shortly afterwards, barely alive.

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

They forced him to heal again and again.

 

More and more soldiers came covered in wounds that were inflicted by magic.

 

Fellby tried his best but he was very young and his magic was not properly trained and he tired quickly… he could only do so little.

 

They moved him once more.

 

This time it was a larger room. He was in a cage, his hands and legs free. In addition, there was someone else with him, in a connected cage. It took Fellby a moment to realize it was another monster.  
  
“What… why are you here?” he questioned the monster, half crawling towards the other cell.  
  
The monster, dressed in a red and green stripped shirt, just a kid even younger than Fellby himself, met him at the connection. Large tears streamed from the kid’s bright emerald eyes as he reached towards Fellby.  
  
Fellby gasped, feeling the kid’s healing magic seep into his body. And Fellby could FEEL. Understanding hit him with a brutal force.

“You…” Lava like tears fell from his eyes, hissing as they made contact with the metal bars. Fellby took hold of the kid’s hand, stopping them from healing him. “I… I’m sorry.”

 

With the last bit of his energy, he engulfed the monster in flames. Then began sobbing, watching as the dust covered his outstretched arm.

 

He did not want that kid here.

 

He did not want any monster to go through the same torture he had experienced.

 

This was an ACT of MERCY.

 

He was punished when the humans found the ashes. He wished they would just kill him.

 

He was moved again.

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Heavy rain echoed through his new prison, small droplets falling through cracks in the ceiling.

 

He lost count of the days, the weeks… He couldn't sleep, not with the water all around him and it HURT so much, every day.

 

Then, one day, he overheard the humans talking outside the door.

 

They spoke about a terrifying flame monster, a soldier who burned through an army of men all by themselves.

 

Fellby felt his HOPE rise. Hope for somebody noticing that he had been taken; hope that somebody would come for him. He fantasised that somebody from his family would come, some long lost relative, and take him away, give him hugs and make everything better.

 

Yet…

 

NOBODY CAME.

 

\--

 

_Gr_ _illby was the first to be by Fellby’s side, his flames calm and strong as he lifted his cousin up with no effort. Swabby ran nearly, panicking as he tended to the children. Several other monsters came running up as well, worry clearly written upon their faces and doing whatever they could to help._

 

_Fellby remained mostly unconscious, unaware what was happening, only trapped in his own mind. Everything hurt. Everything burned like acid. He was in agony and shaking, he almost could hear the voices again, feel the beatings and water._

 

_Then…_ _He was being lifted, pressed against something warm, something with a magical pulse._

 

_He slowly came to, blinking his eyes open weakly._

 

_Red-Orange flames filled what little vision he had and Fellby realized that Grillby was carrying him, his face pressed against the other monster’s neck. Despite himself, Fellby felt himself nuzzling into the welcomed warmth._

 

_He could almost feel the magic running just below the surface of Grillby’s body. Fellby was sure that it would be yellow in colour. Justice. It was... nice. This was okay._

 

_He felt saf_ _e. He felt at home._

 

_He lost consciousness again._

 

_\--_

 

The humans were cruel.

 

They bored quickly and were always in search for something they could project their aggression onto… and Fellby was there and, worse, he was a monster. A fire elemental just like the soldier who had taken down so many. That was all they needed.

 

They doused him with water, soaking his legs, his back and his arms interchangeably. They had taken his clothes in one session so that he had no protection against their assault, and then left him chained within the cell, completely nude.

 

Each time, they laughed as he was screaming in pain, when his flames would shrivel and cool down so much they almost lost their blue colour. They laughed as he pleaded and screamed, as he cried and begged them to stop, to kill him, to show him MERCY and just kill him…

 

One day the human he had healed in the mine came into the darkened cell. It was the same human, Fellby was sure of it, but he looked different… He smiled cruelly down at him and Fellby asked himself why he was such a fool for ever thinking that they were his friend.

 

Two other humans followed him into the cell shortly after, encircling Fellby. The two men grabbed at his arms, forcing him into a standing position and yanked his head back as the human he had at one time healed placed something cool against his lips.  
  
Fellby felt himself whine involuntarily, “Please… no…”, he pleaded, terrified.

 

The human he almost called a friend looked him directly in the eyes as he forced the bottle into his mouth, the other two laughing as they held him still.  
  
Translucent, cold water filled his mouth. Fellby tried to yank away from the pain but the humans held him in place, forcing every last drop down his throat.

 

It was the worst pain he had ever known. It was white hot, burning acid eating him from the inside out. He could feel the heat leaving his body, his vision blurring as his flames died down changing from the pure blue to red, then to orange, then a sickening yellow.

 

At some point, the humans must have released him. He fell to the floor, trying to scream out yet only smoke rose from his lips. He couldn't even cry. He couldn't do anything, the pain consumed everything, every part of him. Pain and coldness.

 

A part of him wanted to be saved; a part of him hoped that the water would reach his core and turn him to dust.

 

Anything was better than this pain! Death could not be so bad…

 

He pleaded to any god, to anyone that may or may not be listening, ‘mercy… just kill me, just end it. Please’.

 

Still…

 

NOBODY CAME.

 

His HOPE began to diminish as his core cooled and convulsions took over his body. He felt thick foam bubbling from his throat, heard the humans laugher, then… nothing.

 

\--

 

_Fellby awoke in an_ _unfamiliar room with pain coursing through his body. It was not horrible pain, but for a split second, he thought that he was back in one of the various cells, back with the humans, helpless and naked, still waiting for somebody, anybody, to come for him._

 

_He chilled at the thought, the memory he had long since buried._

 

‘ _No,’ he told himself. There was no way he would be back there. The humans had locked every monster in the underground… himself included. There was no human around here._

 

_He was not lying on hard ground, rather in a soft bed. It smelled nice of wood and a hint of smoke. The room was decorated sparsely; only a few pictures hanging upon the walls, yet on the nightstand were many photos of six little skeletons and three flame elementals in various positions._

 

_His sunglasses were lying there too._

 

_He took them, placing them on before_ _he noticed a strange light source, not that of his own, next to him._

 

_It was his cousin, Grillby, fast asleep in the room’s only chair; his head rested on his crossed arms that were lying upon the bed beside Fellby’s torso. Grillby was still wearing his glasses. He must have fallen asleep in that position which meant… Grillby most likely guarded over him?_

 

_That thought filled Fellby with a strange, warm emotion and he looked down humbly._

 

_His wounds had been_ _bandaged and he could feel the tingling of healing items in his flames. Grillby and most likely Swabby had taken care of him…_

 

_It felt even stran_ _ger knowing that... somebody came for him... Someone actually…_

 

_No! No one would give a shit if he were to kick the bucket! If he were to turn to dust…_

 

_But..._

 

_Something about that line of thinking made Fellby afraid and he shook his head harshly before looking towards Grillby, now deep in thought._

 

_Not for the first time he asked himself, what would have happened if Grillby found him during the war? Who would he be today? Would he still be the same? Or would he be someone totally different?_

 

_His musings were interrupted as Swabby entered the room, his yellow flames illuminating the small space even more. Fellby would never admit it, but he kinda liked the younger monster. He could brighten the room in an instant, not just with his light. He was a sappy and annoying blackmailing idiot, but... he was just as “his” as the kids and Grillby himself._

 

“ _Oh, you're awake!” chipped Swabby as he came over, a huge smile on his face. “I'm so glad, Fellby. We thought you were in serious trouble there for a while… Why did you run through Waterfall without any protection?”_

 

“ _No time,” mumbled Fellby, before one little detail rushed through his memories. “The kids!” he calls out worriedly, trying to sit up. “Swabby, where are the kids? Are they okay? What happened?”_

 

“ _Don't worry. The kids are okay, they-”_

 

_A loud shuffling and a bark interrupted him, and then_ _there were two bone beasts charging into the room at top speed. They jumped, shifting mid-air, and the next thing Fellby knew was that he had his arms full of Skeleton-children. Crying skeleton children._

 

“ _FELLBY!”_

 

“ _You’re awake!”_

 

“ _We thought... we thought you were...”_

 

“ _I'm so happy you are okay.”_

 

_Maybe there were more words but Fellby did not hear them. He just pulled both Saz and Parz against his body, allowing himself this little moment of weakness. They were alive. They were both alive and well and their magic was strong again inside their bones._

 

_He held them close and concentrated on his breathing. There were still tears. And strangely, he didn't care._

 

_Grillby must have been woken from the noise. When Fellby looked up for the first time, both Grillby and Swabby were standing in the door, smiling. At that moment, it didn't matter to Fellby. He was to occupied by holding on to the children._

 

“ _Oh god, boys...” he just said, his voice still hoarse. “I thought I lost you...”_

 

“ _We're okay,” mumbled Saz. “You... you saved us.”_

 

“ _You came for us,” whispered Parz, his eyes big and shimmering with unshed tears. Fellby had seldom seen him like that. “Thank you, thank you...”_

 

_Saz was holding on to him pretty hard too, sobbing quietly and damn, he wasn't one for mushy stuff, but he was so GLAD that his kids were HERE and nothing took them away. They were here and okay. He was HOME with his children and they were safe, he was not too late, he had... he had saved somebody, it did not end in a fucking disaster… and the kids were OKAY._

_  
“I love you kids,”_ _Fellby muttered, not even aware what he said as he held the boys close to his chest._

 

\--

 

He endured for a long, long time.

 

Weeks… months… he wasn’t sure.

 

He was weak, his body barely functioning but still forced to heal humans.

 

They had not made him drink water again. It nearly killed him the first time and they knew better than to break their plaything.

 

Then, on one day, as the humans laughed while hurting him and telling him about the war that was going in their favour, something inside of him clicked.

 

Nobody was coming for him. Either they didn't know he was still alive or they didn't care.

If he ever wanted freedom, then he would have to achieve it himself…

He was weak, barely enough magic inside him for the basic stuff, but he had resolve. He would get out. He would get out and get back to... He would find the other monsters.

He would not let them break him. He would survive.

 

The next time they forced him to heal a human, he snapped.

 

His hands were free and he let his form go for a moment, engulfing the room in bluish purple flames. He shoved his kindness away, letting Justice and Bravery and Patience and RAGE and Fear and Hurt take over. He burned hotter than ever before, using every bit of himself to fuel this inferno.

 

The humans screamed as they burned. They sounded a bit like Fellby himself when they tortured him. However, the human’s pain lasted only a few seconds…

 

When the screams finally stopped and Fellby crouched on the ground, he was the only thing alive left in, what had once been, the room.

 

He did not waste any time.

 

As soon as he had the energy, he ran as long and as far as his leg would carry him.

 

Only to be captured once more by the humans and locked away in a new prison… a prison in which every monster shared.

 

\--

 

_The other children joined Parz and Saz at some point. Fellby was_ _now buried under the skeletons, but he did not say anything against it. It actually felt great having the kids around him._

 

_He even had a bit time to look Parz and Saz over._

_Saz had still a few bandages on his skull and legs, but seemed okay for the most part._

_Parz had one leg in a cast and bandages around his head and spine. Damn, if anybody else had found them, P_ _arz would be most likely been unable to walk for the remainder of his life… or worse, turned to dust._

 

_This thought alone made him hold on a bit tighter to the children piled on top of him._

 

“ _Fellby?” mumbled a voice._

 

_Fellby looked down and saw Saz blinking up at him, looking tired but aware of his surroundings. “What?” questions Fellby. Normally, he would not care whom he woke but these were the children, so he would be careful and keep his voice low._

 

“ _... You healed us,” Saz states. “I know. I saw the green magic.”_

 

_Fellby starred at him. For some reason he suddenly felt fear deep within his core._

 

“ _It's okay, it's really cool. Without that... Parz would have...” Saz stopped talking, looking away. “So... thank you.”_

 

_Fellby shook himself out of his stupor. “No problem. Just... uh... don't tell anybody I can do this, okay?”, he asked, barely managing to mask the fear he still felt deep inside his core._

 

“ _Okay!” chipped Saz. “But it's really cool.”_

 

_Fellby didn’t know what to say about that._

 

_Maybe he should tell the_ _others about his magic. About his abilities... Grillby and Swabby both have proven more than once that they could keep their mouth shut. And there weren't any humans in the underground, nobody to take advantage of him and his power..._

 

_(And they both came when he called out for them... He could trust them, they... they would care. They wouldn't hurt him.)_

 

_Nevertheless, old habits die hard._

_Lessons learned this painful_ _ly would take a lifetime to unlearn._

 

_Cruelty_ _can only be healed by kindness._

 

_Looking around him_ _self, seeing all the children trusting and obviously loving him so much, seeing some food made by Swabby on the night stand and realizing that Grillby had given him his bedroom as long as he was injured, knowing that these people CARED about him and would come for him..._

 

_Well, maybe it_ _did fill him with kindness… and a HOPE he had long since thought lost to him._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... we really do enjoy torturing Fellby a bit to much. XD


	6. The Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a nice little look in Swabbys life and mind, seeing that the drama of everybody else left him a bit in the background. But it's okay, he is a great support. 
> 
> ((This chapter jumps quite a lot through the timeline, so please look out for that.))
> 
> Or: I swear, we started this AU with LOTS of ideas for the skeleton babys, but the flames somehow stole all the spotlight.

 

 

Family sticks together.

 

Swabby did not remember where or when he heard this for the first time but these three simple words were part of him, of his core and magic, for as long as he could remember. It became his mantra, his way of life, even when he was too young to actually understand what that really meant. It was integral to him, a simple understanding.

 

Birds fly, grass grows and family sticks together.

 

Sometimes it was hard.

 

Swabby knew that he was one of the weaker flames within the family though he did not really mind. Personally, he liked his yellow flames; he liked being able to brighten up the room by standing in it alone. Of course, having yellow flames also meant that he did not burn very hot, but why should he? He was not a fighter and had no desire to be one; he was not very interested in being a scientist, despite his interest in everything that explained the world to him. He had not had a great magical talent and his natural soul colour, yellow, made him just but he never wanted to enforce his believes upon other monsters.

 

He had a knack for making high quality healing food items, so he opened up a little dinner in the Capital offering food and a place for families to go, much to the irritation of the family who had expected more of him. Why should he strife for “more”? He was happy like this. It did get a bit lonely at times, but he was happy.

 

As long as he lived in Hotland, minding his own little family dinner, he did not have many worries. He had everything he needed and was quite safe there. There wasn't much that could harm a fire elemental who was completely surrounded by lava, even a relatively weak one like himself.

 

It was good. Really. Just a bit... routine. Stale at times. Not always. It was okay, really.

 

However, one day, he got a vague message from his cousin, Grillby, asking him to come to Snowdin. Some sort of emergency… and despite knowing that the trip alone could be very dangerous, he packed his things and went on his way.

 

Family sticks together, after all.

 

Moreover, Grillby had never asked anyone for anything for as long as Swabby could remember.

 

Meeting Fellby, another cousin he had not seen for... well he wasn’t sure he had ever met Fellby before, was strange. He had HEARD about him. Usually not very nice things. But Swabby was sure that Fellby couldn’t be as bad as he was made out to be by their family.

 

However, getting the door slammed in his face as greeting perhaps was not the best “first meeting” one could wish for… Whoever said that things had to be easy? Nobody.

 

Nevertheless, he stayed by the door until he was finally allowed inside. He talked with Grillby, got the whole story and was shortly introduced to the kids. He was in love with them the second he saw them.

 

Grillby gave up his old study, turning it into a room for him to stay in while he was over helping with the kids. Fellby, it seemed, preferred sleeping on the couch during his stay with them. Though why Grillby would even allow the harsher flame near the kids in the state they were in surprised Swabby and left him with many unanswered questions at that time.

 

There was so much to do the first days; two of the children were horribly hurt, the rest were weak and starved and so, so frightened. He tended to them as best as he could and played with the little ones under the watchful eyes of the two older children who seemed the most paranoid.

 

They all had to help out.

Fellby showed talent in getting the two injured ones, Saz and Parz from what the oldest two told them, to eat and rest without sending them into a full out panic attack.

Whereas Grillby seemed to be a safety blanket for the children… He had opened his home up to them, he was the one bathing them seeing as how it was to dangerous for Swabby to even stand near the water and Fellby flat out refused to set a foot in the bathroom, and he was the one the children ran to whenever they had a bad dream which was almost every night as far as Swabby could tell. His cousin did his best but quickly came to his wits end, slowly breaking on how hurt these children were, how much help they needed…

Swabby did his best to hold him together. Him, the children and even Fellby. Because he knew how, he knew he could help them. He played with them, he improvised clothes for them, he cooked for them whenever Grillby was at work, and was there for nightmares when his cousin needed the sleep. He had brought them some toys and an armful of books three days after he arrived and found it adorable seeing Papyrus and Suny play with a colourful ball, chasing it around the house in their canine form.

 

It was nice. He felt very happy in helping out. It felt nice being part of a family. Sure, he had contact with most of the flame family, but most of them had their own thing, mates and even children of their own. Sometimes, it got lonely all by himself.

 

It was maybe his fifth week or so at Grillby’s; the kids had settled into the home quiet nicely, Fellby was still there as well and surprisingly doing a decent job helping with the kids. Of course, he was not allowed to tell bedtime stories anymore but for all his nonchalant acting, Fellby seemed to care for the children just as much as Swabby and Grillby themselves. Swabby even captured him letting the children use him as a pillow and the children seem to get better faster whenever the harsher flame was around.

 

Swabby was helping Grillby setting up some new furniture in the guest room, when he decided to ask. “Grillby? Say, you were here on your own all this time?”

 

“Yes.” Grillby never was a flame of many words but Swabby was still determined to get him to open up a bit.

 

“Isn’t it lonely for you, being by yourself?”

 

“I'm not lonely anymore,” answered Grillby with a small smile on his face.

 

“I meant before.”

 

Grillby hesitated, looking down at the bookshelf he was assembling. He picked up something made out of metal and heavy reminding Swabby again just how strong his cousin had to be. “When I came here, I was relieved by the solitude,” explained Grillby after a long pause. “I felt uncomfortable near people who would just see... the soldier from the war in me.”

 

“Ah,” Swabby replies, unsure of what he should say.

 

He was still but a child when the war began and could not really remember much other than living in the underground. He practically grew up hearing the stories and tales about the hero Grillby who went off to war, fought the humans and returned home to tell the tale.

 

When he finally saw Grillby for the first time, long ago, he was not at all like what he had imagined a war hero to be. Just this red-orange flame monster that looked uncomfortable the whole time. He never told a single tale about the war… Never. It was always somebody else telling the stories. They were all great stories; full of danger and about how Grillby single-handedly took out hundreds of human soldiers. At one point of that evening, Grillby had turned yellow, nearly becoming white, before disappearing for the night. He did not come to any other family reunion ever since…

 

Even now, it was hard to picture Grillby on a battlefield.

 

“And being here helps?” asks Swabby.

 

“Yes,” answers Grillby, continuing assembling the bookshelf. “It is too dangerous for most flame elementals to be here but not for me. I like the town and the townsfolk. It's... peaceful.”

 

That sounded about right, thought Swabby. The town was very peaceful. Swabby had visited the town only once before, when most of the family migrated from what was now called the ruins to the Capital beyond Hotland. Snowdin was barely a settlement at that time however. Now it was beautiful.

 

“So you don't get cold here?” he asks.

 

“No. In fact...” Grillby stopped with his task to look out of the window. “I like the cold. I... have a very high LOVE. Should I ever loose control of myself, there is enough cold and snow out there to stop me from hurting anyone.”

 

That was pretty dark when Swabby thought about it.

 

“Hey, who is losing control here?” he questions cheeky, grinning at Grillby. “The only one losing control would be Fellby when he loses one of our friendly verbal duels!”

 

Grillby looked at him and Swabby could swear he saw a smile. “You really shouldn't rile him up that much.”

 

“Pshh!” Swabby waved away Grillby’s concerns “Fellby is a big old softy, he just doesn't know it yet. He just needs a bit time to see how good family can be. I'll get him out of his shell, just you wait.”

 

That earned him a small laugh and Swabby beamed. Score for him! Fellby was not the only one who could use a bit family-magic.

 

“You have your work cut out for you.”

 

“You think he's not so bad yourself,” Swabby points out. “Otherwise, you wouldn't have let him stay.” By the way Grillby hesitated at that statement, he knew he was right.

 

“Maybe...” Grillby mutters. “The kids seem to like him... Saz and Parz especially so.”

 

“See? It will all come together one day.”

  
“You still shouldn't make him angry... he COULD hurt you,” warns Grillby without hesitation and a look that told Swabby that Grillby was being serious.

 

Stars, this family needs some serious self-esteem boosting.

 

Just because he was not that strong did not mean he would just break!

 

“Yeah, but he wont,” replies Swabby and grins a bit more. “I grew up with five siblings and a ton of other monsters that were like family too. I can handle myself. I can handle even worse them him. So, even if he wanted to, he won't hurt me.”

 

Grillby looked at him a bit sceptically, but did not say anything.

 

Swabby just went back to work, grinning as the plan in his head took form.

 

\--

 

Swabby grew up in a sort of sanctuary for monsters. Ironically, it was located on Mount Ebott. It was a small village where monsters ended up fleeing to during the war.

 

It was a sad affair, most monsters were very young or old, and many of them had lost everything. Swabby’s parents helped these people as best as they could, but often, it was not enough.

 

Swabby had learned very early in his life what a funeral was.

 

Dust was a funny thing. Okay, no, it wasn't funny; just... it was a thing. It was sprinkled over the thing in which the fallen monster loved most in their life so that they would, in a way, live on in the thing. However, dust... kind of made the thing in question look grey, faded as though a part of it had died too. At least, this was what Swabby thought about the matter.

 

But it wasn't all bad living there. There were many children whom had lost their parents in the war and, together with Swabby, they formed a small squad who regarded each other as sibling. Swabby learned that family was not just held together by shared magic but by something much, much greater. He did not have a word for it but whatever it was, it was sticky and held them together. Did that make sense?

 

Swabby was one of the smaller children with the lowest stats, but he was resourceful and found out early that his wit was his best weapon, especially because it could not be measured in numbers. It was this experience, along with the many habits he gained during his early years, that he knew exactly what to do to get Fellby to do exactly what he wanted him to.

 

“Fellby! Come on and help me with that!” huffs Swabby, struggling to get two chairs into the kitchen.  
  
Grillby had ordered a lot of new furniture for the skeleton children, seeing that they would need it. Unfortunately, it was a LOT of heavy stuff. Grillby went for durability apparently. The children would be a permanent part of this household.

 

“Why should I?” asks Fellby, still sitting lazily on the couch which he had declared as his preferred place of resting.

 

“Because Grillby asked you to.”

 

“Pff, as if Grills could tell ME what to do.”

 

Swabby sighs. He didn't want to use his ammunition this early, but Fellby didn't leave him much choice. “Okay, how about this: You help me and I won't show anybody the interesting pictures I took,” he replies, crossing his arms and looking Fellby in the eyes.

 

As he expected, that got Fellby’s attention. He looks up to Swabby with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. “Pictures?”

 

“Oh nothing special… just you playing with a bunch of bone-dogs... or perhaps the one where the children placed little bow-ties in your head flames. Or the one where Grillby made you wear that cute little apron in the kitchen, then of course I still have-“ begun Swabby, counting each item off on his fingers, a small smirk upon his lips.

 

“WHERE DID YOU GET PICTURES OF THAT?” sputters Fellby, shocked. “Wait... are you BLACKMAILING me?”

 

“You got it,” answers Swabby, giving his best evil grin. “I have all the blackmail material. But… if you help, I may be convinced to hand over these items… once you’re finished that is.”

 

Fellby kept staring at him for full five minutes and Swabby grinned the whole time. This situation alone was blackmail material!

 

After a long pause without any movement from Fellby, except the gentle flicker of his flames, Swabby reaches into the pocket of his vest, pulls out a photograph, and shows it to Fellby.

 

It was a very nice shot of Fellby, his blue flames glowing brightly with a nice purple blush on his cheeks, sitting on the floor of the children’s room with four skeleton puppies sleeping in his lap while another was draped over his shoulders and the last, little Suny, was sitting on his head. The photographer even managed to capture the little smile Fellby let himself have at that moment.

 

Fellby blinks and lunges for the photo. “GIVE ME THAT!” he shouts.

 

Swabby just laughs, dancing out of the way, his flames flickering joyful. “Nope. You have to earn it!” he states, grinning and waving his index finger in front of Fellby’s nose.

 

“What prevents me from simply taking it?” hisses Fellby, his flames betraying how flustered he is over the whole thing.

 

“It's easier doing the job than catching me?” guesses Swabby, still grinning and putting the photo away. “That and I have a LOT more where that one came from.” Swabby could tell that Fellby was glaring at him, even through the sunglasses Fellby insisted on wearing indoors.

  
“What do you mean ‘it's easier than catching’ you? I can get my hands on a scrawny little lighter like you any time.”

 

Swabby laughs. Fellby had so no idea what he was saying. “Nope. Trust me, you won't catch me,” he replies, winking at him. “You can try, but you won't get me.”

 

There was a beat of silence between them.

 

Fellby makes another grab for him, this time even faster.

 

Nevertheless, just like last time, Swabby laughs and dodges, seemingly dancing out of the way, his movements smooth and graceful. He takes a few steps backwards, Fellby following him. He can’t help but to laugh harder when Fellby becomes frustrated, trying to grab him again and again; always failing, always missing.

 

“STAY STILL YOU BRAT!” Fellby screams out, frustrated.

 

“Never!” he giggles, having the time of his life. It was true that he wasn’t a fighter, but he had learned to hold himself in sticky situations.

 

So what if his flame wasn't the hottest? So what if his stats weren't the best? So what if he was small, wimpy, and weak when compared to other monsters? He could still make it! They could not hurt him when they never catch him!

 

The world was bright and colourful like this, nothing was greyed out, nothing was sad!

 

However, everything good has to come to an end at some point…

 

Swabby made the mistake of ignoring where he was going. He dodged and danced backward until hard wood was pressing against his back. Fellby had finally cornered him, pressing him up to a wall, both of them a bit out of breath.

 

“SO!” he huffs out, glaring at Swabby. “What do you say now?”

 

Fellby looked angry but Swabby continues to smile playfully. He had lost the fight, yeah, but he had not lost the argument. That and he really enjoyed getting Fellby to react so emotionally to things.

 

“That if you think I have the only copy of the photo on me, you give me not enough credit,” chirps Swabby. “I've done this for years now. I have ALL sorts of experience in blackmailing people.” It was fun watching the words sink in.

 

Fellby finally let him go, huffing. “Fine,” he growls out. “You annoying blackmailer.”

 

“That's right,” Swabby continues, still grinning. “I'll even help! Really, I will only blackmail you if it's for your own good. Come on, with the two of us, this will be done fast.”

 

Fellby grumbled the whole time but they managed to get everything inside the house and set up long before Grillby returned.

 

A few new photos of Fellby carrying kitchen chairs and looking particular goofy in one pose, clearly not knowing how to handle the thing, joined Swabby’s massive stack of blackmail material.

 

\--

 

Blackmailing people was always the best strategy if you are a lot smaller and physically weaker than those around you are. It was even better with people full of false pride like Fellby.

 

The best part of his strategy, however, was that it was still fun when Fellby began to adjust.

 

“HA! Do you really think you can blackmail me with that?” scoffs Fellby, pointing at the photo Swabby was holding out. “I have no shame in that. In fact, let’s frame it and hang it on the wall. It deserves a fucking place there.”

 

The photo in question was a wonderful shot of Fellby sleeping on the couch with Saz in his canine form curled up on his stomach and both Suny and Pyru standing behind the couch’s arm grinning and in the process of putting a colourful hat with the words “Uncle Fellby” stitched onto it on his head. An adorable picture that Swabby had been proud of taking at the time.

 

“Oh, I see,” pouts Swabby, trying his best to keep the smile off his face. “I guess that means that I have to reorganize my blackmail material.”

 

“Looks like it,” Fellby states grinning like a mad man.

 

As much as it was annoying to lose a good stock of his material, the fact that it couldn't be used anymore was much more precious. He still had a lot of stuff in backup, so he would be okay.

 

“Okay then, what about this photo from the last time you tried to drink Grillby under the table?” he questions, grinning.

 

Fellby flushed deep purple. “YOU HAVE PHOTOS OF THAT?”

 

\--

 

Life was pretty good for Swabby, all things considered.

 

He slowly got Fellby out of his shell.

 

He was there whenever Grillby needed extra help comforting the children after nightmare and fixing meals.

He got to know his cousins fairly well over the years, not too surprising in and of itself. However, he was always surprised at how quickly he grew attached to the children considering that they regarded Grillby as the father figure with him and Fellby as the “uncles”.

 

He was there when Pyru had a nervous breakdown lasting for over three hours; hyperventilating, shaking, and trembling so much he was afraid the young skeleton’s bones would break.

 

He was there when Saz broke his arm and Parz fainted because nobody knew if Saz would loose his last HP or not.

 

He was there when Suny was told that he could not join the Royal Guards with just 10 HP no matter how much control he had over his magic and how good he was in solving conflicts via friendship.

 

He was there when Sans came down with a nasty infection of his bones that left him bedridden and emitting a strange magic slime, reducing his HP to 1 for several weeks.

 

He was there when Papyrus hurt himself badly while trying to help some monsters during a bad blizzard and had to stay in his dog-beast form for a few days so that his bones could heal properly.

 

He could not heal them or absorb damage. He was not physically strong and didn’t exactly know how the world worked. Nevertheless, he was always there when somebody needed him, offering hugs and gentle words. He was there when any of them needed somebody to cry on, even if they didn't really want to.

 

Family sticks together.

 

It was a sticky mess that drew people in and held them close. Not that Swabby would ever complain.

 

Out of all the children, however, he had a special bond with Pyru and Suny.

 

\--

 

Suny was a delightful little ball of sunshine. The boy smiled and laughed with all his heart and had an air of innocence to him. He was always the first one to notice when somebody needed a hug and gives this hug to everybody.

 

It came with a great surprise when Swabby was the one receiving one.

 

It was during their second year staying with Grillby, during a period of the year where it is much colder than usual in Snowdin. There wasn't really weather in the underground per say, but Sowdin would suffer periodically from blizzards and cold temperatures during this time.

 

This made it impossible for Swabby to leave the house. He would die out there. Of course, this did not mean he was stuck inside alone… Fellby would not leave the house either, though he could if he really needed to. Grillby was the only one who would leave the house daily, going to work and doing the shopping in his place.

 

While Fellby stayed as far away from any windows as possible, Swabby found himself sitting at the window overlooking the main street of Snowdin, looking outside at the storm feeling... not so hot, pun intended.

 

He had intended to go back home, back to Hotland, for a few days to look after his diner and make sure that everything was in order. As much as he loved staying here with the kids, being constricted this much in the house and being reminded every day of his endangerment by simply BEING in Snowdin, wasn't very fun. It made him feel a bit melancholic…

 

He missed Hotland, in a way. It was familiar and safe there. The sudden cancel of his trip made his melancholic mood worse.

 

In short, he felt useless. He was a decent cook but that was nearly all he could do now. He couldn't go outside to take some stuff out of Grillby’s hand when he came back home loaded up, he couldn't even help out at his bar seeing as how he would turn to dust before he even reached it.

 

The children enjoyed his plays and tricks, but they often preferred to play amongst themselves and frankly, it was a good thing. They needed the bonding.

 

And Fellby was... difficult…  
Just after the blizzard set in, Fellby had a sort of mental breakdown disclosing some pretty gruesome details of his childhood which had broken Swabby’s heart and, he knew, caused Grillby to blame himself. Ever since then, Fellby made himself pretty rare. It was understandable, overall. Swabby was sure that only the bad conditions and Fellby fragile state concerning water held him in the house. Moreover, the harsher flame acted just as cold as the snow outside now.

 

Nevertheless, there was simply nothing he could do other than to wait it out. He could just sit there and watch as the world was slowly sinking into grey.

 

He was rather suddenly yanked out of his thoughts when he felt two small arms wrap around him.

 

Swabby blinks, looking down to see little Suny, wearing a blue and white stripped onesy with a little blue hood, looking up to him with his big, glowing eyes and an serious expression on his face.

 

“Uncle Swabby! Stop being sad!”

 

It was so unexpected that Swabby didn't know what to say to that. Instead, he chuckles a bit helplessly and returns the hug, cuddling the little skeleton to himself. “I'll try...” he mumbles.

 

“Good,” chirps Suny while digging his little fingers into the fabric of Swabbys shirt. “Because it won’t do if not everybody is happy!”

 

“Not everybody is happy all the time,” mumbles Swabby.

 

“But I want them to be! As much as possible,” Suny states. “They were all sad for so long. And when everybody can be sad, so can everybody be happy.”

 

“I'm happy most of the time, Suny.”

 

“But you’re not now. And you are very happy most of the time so that means you are extra sad just to be normal sad. And Pyru said my hugs make all sad go away, so, there you go,” states Suny seriously.

 

There were tears in Swabby’s eyes but he didn't care. He just hugged this little precious child closer.

 

“Uncle... Uncle Swabby? Why are you crying? Did I make you sad?”

 

“No... No, Suny,” sniffles Swabby. “Not at all, you just made me very happy.”

 

“oh...” Suny didn't let go for a long time. But it was alright.

 

\--

 

His brother Pyru was... a different matter. He was a very nervous and paranoid child when Swabby had first met him, constantly looking out for Suny and his other siblings. He became especially skittish and paranoid whenever Parz and Saz were concerned. At first, Swabby thought it was just because the two were so hurt that they had started falling down, but Sans, as paranoid, tired, starved and down right exhausted he was, did not act like him at all…

 

Pyru’s behaviour mellowed out over the first year, reviling his natural relaxed personality. He still had panic attacks and bad nights that left him shaken, nervous and rather clingy to his brothers.

 

The night before the first “birthday” was... a revelation. It was not the first time Pyru came to him in the night, seeking comfort, but it was the first time he actually told him something.

 

“They made me watch,” he started, barely audible from the tears. “They... they hurt Saz and Parz and it was horrible and they made me watch. Please I don't wanna, I don't wanna...”

 

Even after years, Swabby would still remember clearly how Pyru cried into his chest that night, shaking and rattling.

 

It was a hard night for both of them.

 

After Pyru finally parted for bed again, preferring to sleep with his siblings, Swabby had to much pent-up… something! He wasn’t sure what to call it exactly.

 

He was not a fighter; he was not a healer. He could not take the pain away; he could not inflict pain on those who had hurt these precious, wonderful children.

 

Instead, he did the only thing he could think of at the time: decorating the living room for the upcoming celebration while trying his best not to wake Fellby whom, like always, was sleeping on the couch.

 

A few weeks later, he witnessed the breakdown of Fellby and to an extent Grillby.

They all gained some knowledge about what had happened to the children.

 

He learned from the other two that there were tapes… Thousands of tapes! All of them were recordings of experiments, no the torture, done to the children. Swabby never saw the tapes himself, but he saw the aftermath of what they did to his cousins and he knew that whatever could reduce Fellby to a sobbing mess would surely kill him.

 

It was a week or so after that, that Swabby was awoken in the middle of the night again by his door creaking open and a small body running across the room. Pyru looking up to him, eyes big and dark. Swabby just lifted his blanket for him to slide under.

 

He felt the trembling child pressing himself onto his side, as if Pyru was trying to disappear within his flames. Swabby knew better than to ask too many questions to soon, instead opting on hugging him, holding him close and petting his skull.

 

“I had a nightmare...” whispers Pyru after a while, his voice barely a ghost of a noise.

 

Swabby hums, still softly petting Pyru, letting his warmth dance over fragile bones. “Do you want to tell me about it?” he questions after a short silence.

 

He felt Pyru taking a deep breath, his bones and magic around him tensing before relaxing once more.

 

“It was... it was what they did,” Pyru mumbles. “I... I was back there. They... they showed me what they did to... to Saz and Parz.” He was in tears again. “I saw... I saw him hurting Saz. He was screaming. He broke his skull. He broke it and put something in and he did something with his soul and everything was glowing red and Saz SCREAMED. His... his eyes were blue once, like Suny. It... it was like watching them doing that to Suny and they said... they said they would do that to me and if I'm not good, they would do that to Suny. And... and he hurt my soul too and took a piece and put something back in and it hurt so much and... and... and...”

 

Swabby had stopped listening halfway through. He just pulls Pyru to his chest, feeling his own tears building up while Pyru's voice became garbled nonsense. He let the child sob and scream, holding onto him and petting his skull all the while wishing like never before, he could go back and change time, change faith. But he couldn't. This was all he was capable of doing…

 

It was all worth the next day, when he woke up to a sleeping Pyru, cuddled against his side, the little one looking relaxed and peaceful in sleep.

 

Pyru showed him his soul one day.

 

It looked normal, a small inverted, white heart. However, with the knowledge Swabby had of what had happened to Pyru, he could see the damage, could see where somebody had taken a piece and put something else in.

 

They never found out why this was done or what it did exactly to Pyru.

 

Time and love healed most of the wounds and Swabby, and his cousins, provided him with as much as he could.

 

After all, family sticks together.

 

Yeah, it did make Swabby a bit proud that Pyru and Suny would come to him for comfort.

 

There were many nights where he had to hold one or both of them, keeping the darkness at bay with his flames and the bad memories with his stories. It seemed to work at least.

 

They were happy.

 

They were his little family, all of them.

 

It was a gradual thing, but it happened.

 

The final realisation, that this was something that was going to stay however, came much, much later.

 

\--

 

It was a few years down the line.

 

The children grew up nicely.

Pyru and Papyrus were already towering over Swabby and Fellby. Grillby still had an inch or so on the two. Parz had just started his own grow spurt, whereas Sans, Saz, and Suny remained quite tiny. They theorized about them having so few HP caused their little stance, but really, it was no issue.

 

Swabby pretty much lived permanently in Snowdin now, making the trip to Hotland once a month to look after the family diner he owned.

 

On this particular day however, he wasn't feeling very hot, no pun intended.

 

It was just a bug that seemed to spread amongst the residents of Snowdin. The children, or rather teenagers now, seemed to be immune and both Grillby and Fellby were lucky to not have caught it, but Swabby felt himself becoming pretty weak, his flame burning colder and smaller than usual, his magic feeling sluggish and sticky.

 

He was sick, simple as that and probably should have stayed in bed.

 

However, he had planned the trip already and had to go through with it. That being said, he searched for his warmest clothes, making sure that his body was as good as possible protected from elements.

 

… and was intercepted by Fellby, who looked pretty pissed for some reason.

 

“Where the fuck are you going?” he questions, blocking Swabby’s path to the front door.

 

“Hotland. Like every month,” replies Swabby, mumbling through his scarf.

 

“In your condition?”

 

“Are you worried about me?”

 

“What? No! Don't be an idiot!” Fellby practically shouts back. “I just... happen to have to go to Hotland too. And I don't want to have to wait forever on the Riverperson. So... come on, let's go, we’ll take the boat together!”

 

With that, Swabby was shoved out of the house and onto the boat before he could fully comprehend what was happening.

 

Fellby sat down with a huff beside him. He argued with the Riverperson (well, more like AT them seeing that they always replied with “Tra la la”) and complained about the water the entire trip, but that didn't distract Swabby from noticing that Fellby seemed to hover around him the entire time, making sure that Swabby sat in the exact middle of the boat.

 

When they finally arrived, Fellby proclaims loudly, “Damn it, do you have to go so SLOW?” before picking him up and carrying him to the land, setting him down a good distance away from the water.

 

Needless to say, Swabby was confused.

 

And the confusion just kept on going…

 

Fellby followed him the entire track to Muffet's bakery, insisting he had some business in the same area. He seemed a bit more relaxed in the warm climate but still, something was... off.

 

Once they reached Muffet's little bakery and café, a nice place Swabby really liked even with the spiders, Fellby just sat down in one of the corner booths, leaving Swabby to tend to his own business.

 

“SWABBY!” shouts Muffet excitedly, grinning her unnerving grin, and waving at him with three hands. “My, my, it's been to long!”

 

He could not do anything against the hug except wince. Muffet was stronger than she looked.

 

“And? Do you have some new... material?”

 

“Muffet!” Swabby cries out, glaring at her. “He is right here,” he hisses, feeling his cheeks heat up. “And I really don't want to think about the moral issues about... that.”

 

“Oh come on,” pouts Muffet. “Throw a girl a bone here. Well, not a bone, just a few photos. I know I can't have him, so at least give me something hot to look at.”

 

“Could you PLEASE stop talking like that about my cousin?”

 

“Pshhh,” Muffet waves him off. “You, Swabs, are a boring borer. A bore-borer. And I don't know if I could do favours for lame borers.”

 

Swabby sighs deeply. He really, really should have said no when he had the chance. “Alright, alright! I have something for you,” he mumbles, taking a picture out of his coat pocket. A simple shot of Fellby wearing his coat and sitting on a bench in Snowdin, looking at something beyond the frame.

 

“Uuuuh,” moans Muffet, looking over the picture. “Scenery picture.”

 

Swabby lets out a heavy sigh.

 

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but apparently Muffet and Fellby had known each other for a while. Apparently, his cousin came to eat here from time to time and somehow Muffet had developed quite the crush on him. It was mostly harmless and, from what Swabby gathered, she respected that Fellby didn't really do the whole dating-thing, but as soon as she found out that her long-time business partner was related to and currently living with said object of affection AND some kind of genius with a camera nobody ever saw...

 

Swabby really, really hoped that nobody would ever question him about it. He could say that he needed the money… and he had standards! All pictures he took were classic, just to please the eye. There was nothing lewd about them!

 

And he was so dead if Fellby ever found out.

 

“The usual price?” asks Muffet grinning, lazily waving one of her hands in, what Swabby could only assume, Fellby’s direction.

  
“The usual,” agrees Swabby before sighing deeply. “PLEASE be discrete about this.”

 

“Oh, I am always!” giggles Muffet, storing away the photograph before pulling out a little black notebook. “Here is everything about the diner. There wasn't much of a problem this month. The new cook does his thing well and the profits are peaking.”

 

Swabby took the notebook, flipping through it. His sickness made it a bit difficult to read though Muffet did not seem to mind that he took a bit more time than usual, opting for observing Fellby while she waited.

 

It was about half an hour later, Swabby was nearly finished with everything that Muffet had written for him, when Fellby came over, irritation written clearly on his face.

  
“Do you HAVE to take this much time?” he grumbles, crossing his arms across his chest. “I don't have the whole day, you know.”

 

“I'm almost done,” answers Swabby before a yawn forced itself out of him. “Just... one more page, I really have to look that over.”

 

“Why are we even here reading in Spider Lady’s little black book?”

 

Muffet makes a giggling sound, holding one hand in front of her mouth in mock scandalization. “Oh my, Fellby!” she giggles. “Do you really think I would let somebody read THAT in public?”

 

Swabby really did NOT want to know.

 

Fellby, on the other hand, just seemed to be more frustrated. “Can it, cupcake,” he groans. “Really, I don't have that much time. Why are we even here?”

  
“Don't you know?” questions Muffet a bit surprised. “I'm looking after little Swabs business while he is with you in Snowdin. In exchange for… a cut from the profit.”

 

“It's a good deal,” adds Swabby, choosing to not tell his cousin that most of her cuts were exchanges for some pretty pictures of a blue flame monster looking nice in the snow. “And... I think I'm finished,” he says, closing the book and handing it back to Muffet. “Thank you... I just...” A new yawn escaped him and he felt his flames shutter for a moment.

 

He really didn’t feel that great all of the sudden…. He felt really tried.

 

He blinked when blue filled his vision.

 

It took half a minute until he realized that he heard everything as though through cotton.

 

“-bby? Swabby? Hey, are you still with us?” questions Fellby, shaking him a bit. Fellby sounded worried. It was… different.

 

Swabby himself just felt tired. Tired and cold and Fellby was standing before him, the heat coming off of him felt so warm. Swabby just let himself fall forward.

 

“SWABBY!”

 

Arms circled around him, holding him upright, pulling him against something warm.

 

Yeah, that was nice. He could sleep like this…

 

Everything after that was fuzzy.

 

He woke a few times, or at least he thought so.

 

He saw parts of Hotland, a dark cave, heard the Riverperson singing and he could swear he saw snow… though strangely, he never felt cold.

 

When he woke up later, he found himself lying in his bed, unable to move. Curious, he lifts his head and smiles.

 

All of the children were lying around him.

 

Pyru in his canine form was curled up against his left side; Suny was lying across his chest still in humanoid form. Papyrus in his canine from was draped across his stomach, his long legs hanging off of the bed; Sans laid, curled up, by his left shoulder also in his canine form. Parz and Saz, both in their humanoid forms, were on his legs, pinning them down.

 

They were sleeping. It was... adorable. Moreover, warm.

 

Speaking of warm, something or rather somebody else was there with him in the room…

 

Turning his head, Swabby could make out Fellby sitting in one of the chairs, arms crossed and head turned downwards as he slept.

 

He really, really wished he knew how he got here. Everything was confusing.

 

He was in Hotland last time he checked, in Muffet’s bakery… He remember feeling not so well, first cold, then warm. Hmm. Now it was warm too. It felt really, really nice. Swabby could not resist falling asleep again.

 

The next time he awoke, he heard voices.

  
“... should have never let him go there...”

 

“He is an adult.”

 

“He is an idiot! Just... just look at him! A fucking candle has better odds of survival in a snowstorm than him!”

 

“I never knew you worried so much.”

 

“WORRY? Who’s worried? I'm not worried, I'm just a realist!”

 

There was the sound of amused chuckling followed by a very frustrated sounding noise.

There was more, but Swabby had difficulties of understanding as darkness took over.

 

The next time he awoke, he felt that there was no weight on him, but something else was happening. Then there was blue in front of him. Blue mixed with a soft green, he felt warm and amazing.

 

Healing magic.

 

His eyes shot open when his mind connection the two colours.

 

“Fellby?” he questions, his voice coming out small and weak, so much so that he had to question himself as to why he sounded so… weak.

 

Fellby flinches violently, the magic cutting out suddenly. He stares at him, unmasked, a sight that was rare to see. There was still a hint of green within his flames…

 

A shutter ran through Swabby’s body, turning his flames orange momentarily, interrupting his thoughts.

 

“Swabby!” Fellby cries out, grapping hold of his shoulders and pressing him back into the bed.

 

Swabby hadn’t even noticed that he had tried to set up…  


“Stay down!”

 

Swabby takes a deep, shaky breath. His vision sharpening a bit. He still felt… weird. “Did you... just try to heal me?” he asks after a moment. His mind still felt sluggish. “You know that healing magic... doesn't do much for sicknesses… right?”

 

“Shut up,” growls Fellby, face turning slightly violet. “I know that! I just...” He stops, looking away.

 

“Wait…” Swabby mumbles, deep in thought.

 

He had never heard Grillby mention anything about Fellby having healing magic… Wasn’t that a rare talent amongst monsters? Weren’t all the healers known to the Capital? As far as he could remember, none of those healers had been flame elementals…

 

“You…” he still felt weak. “You have healing magic?”

 

“WHAT OF IT?” came the return question.

 

“Why… how…” he wasn’t sure exactly what he meant to ask.

 

He did not understand why Fellby would use this magic on him. He was sick not injured. His HP count was fine; the sickness just messed with his magic and his max HP for the time, not his actual HP. He would be better in a few days with rest. So why would he do that? Come to think about it, Fellby was acting strange the whole day…

 

Wait.

 

“Fellby?” he asks, looking at the harsher flame, feeling the puzzle pieces in his mind click. “Did... do you worry about me?”

 

“What? No! I--”

 

“You were acting strange the whole day... and now you tried to heal me, even though I don't even really need it and...”

 

Was Fellby really turning violet?

 

“F...FINE! Okay, fine, I'm worried about your stupid ass! You are sick and you are just a little yellow flame, you could go out from a bad gust of wind! And you are too stupid to do the intelligent thing and STAY IN THE FUCKING BED AND LET YOUR FAMILY TAKE CARE OF YOU!” he finally shouts, glaring at him.

 

Swabby really, really did not see that coming. Perhaps it was just a hallucination but he felt himself smiling, despite the thought.

 

“Why are you smiling, idiot?” Fellby grumbles. “There is nothing to smile about! You're sick... Stop trying to creep me out, you're stuck with me until Grills comes back!”

  
“It's alright,” Swabby answers, still smiling. A smile that turned into a giggle that turned into a laugh.

 

“Why are you laughing?”

 

Fellby seemed very confused now and somehow, this made everything hilarious for Swabby.

 

“You... you really...” was all Swabby could say, feeling tears on his cheeks. “You... This is family. You said family!”

 

“Yeah? So?” questions Fellby, still confused, still not sure why his rant had sent Swabby into hysterics.

 

“Do you...don't you see?” asks Swabby, after he calmed down a bit, wiping away his tears. The world was colourful and beautiful. There was no grey as far as the eye could see. “We stick together!”

 

 

The children wouldn't let him leave his bed for the next few days. In reality, there was always someone sitting on either his legs or on the chair next to him, giving him _a look_ whenever he even sat up a bit.

Grillby would show up a few times a day, bringing him food and light company, telling him about the bar. And Fellby would stay in the room most of the time, talking about anything and nothing in particular, or just sitting there in a comfortable silence.

 

It was nice. Really, really nice. There was no dust covering his vision anymore.

He had a family and they would stick together.

It felt nice not only to support them, but also to be supported.

 

\--

 

When the day came, when the barrier was broken, they stood together at the exit of the Underground.

Fellby in the middle, looking a bit afraid.

Grillby to the left, a determined look upon his face.

Swabby standing to the right, simply smiling.

 

They held each other’s hand and looked at the sharp line a ray of sun drew onto the ground before them.

Outside, the birds were singing, flowers were blooming.

 

And together, they stepped through the barrier, into the sunshine.

Following their six children and the human child that lead them to freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We should have called this AU "Flames have drama and there are skelle-puppies". The flames are showstealer, all of them.


	7. A dark past - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A phonecall was the starting point to new discoveries. After all, nothing is more unclear than the past.
> 
> Or: The flames get a glimpse into the life the skeletons had before they got out of the lab and deal with their own past drama. 
> 
>  
> 
> ((Or: The one where Fellby breaks down. XD))
> 
> ATTENTION: Messed up stuff is mentioned here. Heavy past child abuse, psychological and physical abuse/torture, Flashbacks to past violence and all that. Fellbys past is mentioned here too. Oh, and some alcohol? So... be careful, people. 
> 
> Timeline-wise: We are in the second year of the skeletons staying with the Flames, a few weeks after their first "birthday".

There was a saying from the surface “The only thing more obscure and vague than the future is the past”.

 

Gr illby had heard humans say this in the brief times when there wasn't fighting. He could not remember the exact circumstances of the conversation, but it did make him pause in thought. After all, shouldn't the past be known to those who’ve lived it?

 

It would take him a lifetime to understand the meaning of the quote.

 

\-- 

 

Grillby felt relieved when Fellby finally reappeared in his home nearly a week after he had left the children’s birthday party. He refused to tell them where he had been or what he had been up to, but Grillby did not want to press the matter for fear it would drive his cousin away once more.

 

Fellby was a strange flame but had his own life and private matters. A good bar tender never pries and as family, as strange as their little arrangement was in itself, he did not want to interfere with his cousin’s personal life.

 

Needless to say, t he kids were overjoyed when the harsher flame walked through the door. 

 

Fellby had maybe half of a second to brace himself before six little skeletons tackled him to the floor, shouting “UNCLE FELLBY” in unison.

 

“Urgh... Wha...?” he grunted out, seemingly more surprised than hurt, before the chatter of the children interrupted him.

 

“You’re back!”

 

“You’ll never guess what we did!”

 

“Uncle Fellby, Uncle Fellby!” 

 

“We have missed you sooooo much!”

 

“We did colouring!”

 

“Uncle Fellby, are you going to stay with us?”

 

“Don't go away again.”

 

“We built a tower thiiiiiiiiiis big!”

 

“-and than Saz said that-”

 

“You have to come see our room!”

 

“Suny and I got to help cook!”

 

“Can we go play together?”

 

Grillby couldn't help the chuckles that escaped him and it seemed as though Swabby was not even trying to hide his own laughter.

 

Fellby blinked down at the children, clearly a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what he should do.

 

The children settled down after a while, allowing Fellby to stand but did not let him out of their sight. Especially Saz and Parz seemed to be glued to his side. It seemed to irritate Fellby quite a bit, but he did not say anything against it. 

 

Grillby  could not be fooled however. He knew how much these kids meant to Fellby. His cousin got the same look upon his face as he and Swabby did whenever the children were hugging him. 

 

After dinner and tucking the kids in, Fellby red them the bedtime story this day. The kids practically begged for him to and Grillby insisted on providing the book for said story, opting to stand beside his cousin while he red. Nobody wanted a repeat of the last Story related Incident.

 

Nevertheless, the kids finally went to sleep, looking quite happy and Fellby claimed the couch in the living room as his own again. Grillby noted that Fellby fell asleep almost instantly that night leaving him to wonder if Fellby had slept unwell the previous night.

 

Overall, routine returned to how it was just weeks before.

 

Work, caring for the children, making sure Swabby  and Fellby didn't do anything stupid… The last part was pretty hard to do, in and of itself. Yet it all melted together into something comfortable.

 

The phone call came out of nowhere a few weeks later.

 

The blizzard season had already begun, so they all stayed inside, including Grillby himself when he wasn't working. 

It was naptime for the children, so he was in the living room, sitting on one end of the couch reading a book while Swabby went over some paperwork from his diner in the lounge chair. Fellby, on the other hand, was lying on the couch, taking up all the remaining space, with his head in Grillby’s lap and completely asleep. It felt... peaceful.

 

At least until the phone rang, jousting Fellby from his slumber and causing the other two flames to glance up from their tasks.

 

It was a brief call but it left Grillby feeling as though his head was spinning.

 

“And?” questioned Swabby, worry in his voice.

 

Grillby wondered for a second if he looked as worried as his cousin sounded. “ That was... the dogs,” Grillby began. “They and the royal guard have found a laboratory. It matches what little we know about... where the children came from.” 

 

It was precious little but none of them had the heart to pressure the children into talking of their pasts. They were safe here; nobody would dare to try to mess with Grillby. Moreover, they kept them hidden as much as they could. Nevertheless, it still did not change the fact that somebody had hurt them badly and had yet to be brought to justice.

 

“They are going to raid it and asked that I join them,” he finished.

 

“Really?” asked Swabby, eyes wide.

 

Fellby quickly sat up; looking at him with an expression Grillby couldn't read. “Where? When?”

 

Grillby stood up, walking to the front door. “Today,” he answered while getting his coat. “As soon as I get there.”

 

“You’re just going alone?” questioned Swabby, standing up himself. “Grillby, that’s-”

 

“The hell he is!” exclaimed Fellby cutting Swabby off and before Grillby knew it, his cousin was standing beside him, grabbing his arm and looking him in the eyes. “I'm going with you.”

 

Grillby could not suppress a surprised “What?” but the look on Fellby’s face told him that this was not a joking matter. He had not misheard him. Grillby let out a heavy sigh. “Do you really want to come?” he questioned, hoping his cousin would take this chance to back out. 

 

They both knew that whatever they were going to find would not be pretty.

 

That and Fellby made it clear in the past that he and the city guards did not mix. For him to accompany Grillby would mean he had to interact with them at some point. 

 

“Like hell I’m letting you do this alone,” Fellby stated passionately. “Where is this place even?” 

 

“Hotland, near the Core,” Grillby replied while getting Fellby's coat for him. “It's in fact a laboratory with a direct link to the Core.” The thought alone made him feel... queasy. He could not describe it but the Core just screamed bad news. He handed Fellby his coat and while his cousin got dressed, he turned around, looking at Swabby. “Can you stay with the children?”

 

Swabby nodded once, smiling confidently. “But as soon as something happens, I want to know about it,” he stated.

 

Grillby chuckled a bit, but agreed. “Of course.”

 

Fellby was waiting impatiently for him, already out of the door.

 

It was silent in  Snowdin, the sound of snow crunching under their boots was the only noise that could be heard.

 

“The Core, huh...” mumbled Fellby after walking a while. “Shit, isn't that the King's lab?” he questioned as the river came into view. “Think Asgore is connected with all this?”

 

Grillby felt his eyes on him and, honestly, the thought of King Asgore knowing something about whatever had happened to the children terrified him more than he’d like to admit. 

 

“I very much hope that the king does not know about it,” he replied solemnly. “If he did...” he trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air between them. He did not know what he would do if King Asgore had known and allowed it to continue. The King, after all, was a very gentle monster. 

But Grillby had seen him during the war. He also knew that the king had killed the six humans who had the misfortune of falling into the underground. Onces perception of a monster could change with that knowledge.

 

“No. I really don't want to think about it,” Grillby muttered, stopping his own thoughts.

 

Fellby looked as though he wanted to say something, but they reached the end of the road, coming to stop at the frozen shoreline. 

 

Water sloshed lazily in front of them and the Riverperson gave a friendly wave as they pull up to the dock.

 

“Tra-la-la,” the Riverperson sang out. “Hello, Grillby, Fellby. Where would you like to go today?” they asked, surely, maybe smiling. It was hard to tell under the thick robe that the Riverperson wore every day.

 

“UGH!” Fellby rolled his eyes. “Do you have to be so… cheerful all the time?” he questioned clearly annoyed. 

 

Grillby never understood Fellby’s apparent dislike for the Riverperson. 

 

“Why not?” they asked, amusement in their voice.

 

Fellby just frowned harder in response.

 

“Take us to Hotland, please,” intervened Grillby, hoping to defuse the situation. He really did not want an argument breaking loose now.

 

The Riverperson just made a hand gesture and both he and Fellby got into the boat, sitting down beside one another in the tight space.

 

“Then we’re off. Please hold on,” said the Riverperson, gripping the ore of the boat a bit tighter. “And watch out for the S in the number four,” they added cryptically.

 

“For... what?” questioned Fellby, confused. “The hell are you going on about now?”

 

Grillby just shrugged.

 

“Tra-la-la,” sang the Riverperson again, as their boat begun to pick up speed. 

 

There was silence between them for a while.

 

Grillby watched the walls surrounding them as they speed through Waterfall. Fellby's and his flames were illuminating the small tunnel nicely. Red and blue flickered and was sometimes reflected by an odd crystal in the wall.

 

Fellby looked troubled, his flames a bit lighter than usual and his gaze cast to the floor of the boat. 

 

“How are the boys doing?” Grillby asked awkwardly after a while, remembering how Saz and Parz had not let Fellby out of their sight since he returned.

 

“How the hell should I know?” mumbled Fellby, his eyes still fixed on the ground.

 

“They talk to you more than to me or Swabby,” answered Grillby, smiling a bit. “And you care about them.”

 

Fellby’s flames turned a touch violet in his face, which prompts Grillby to smile broadly. However, instead of answering him, Fellby lifted his head and glared at the Riverperson. “Hey, can't this damn boat go any faster?”

 

“We’ll arrive soon,” the Riverperson stated before returning to humming their strange little song. 

 

“You still have this frustrating habit to not answer questions,” sighed Grillby.

 

Fellby ignored him still.

 

And soon the boat began to slow, coming to a docking station.

 

“We arrive. Thank you for traveling,” chirped the Riverperson as the boat stops. “Come again sometime. Tra-la-la.”

 

Fellby just sneered as they both climb out of the boat. 

 

“You really don't like them?” asked Grillby, amusement in his voice, as they walk towards the elevators.

 

“He's too damn cheerful,” he grumbled back. “UGH, why couldn't you just be normal and live here like the rest of us?”

 

Grillby shrugged. “I like Snowdin,” he replied softly. “It's nice, it's hard to catch on fire and the people there only know me as a bartender with six children.”

 

It was true, but only half the reason he stayed there.

He did not want him to know about how the heat in Hotland felt like it was fueling his flames, how his LOVE lay heavy on his soul here. Snowdin and the cold just... soften the pressure a bit.

 

Fellby was looking at him skeptically before letting out a frustrated sigh. “Whatever, let's just get this over with,” he grumbled while Grillby called for the elevator.

 

“Would you rather live here instead of Snowdin?” Grillby questioned as the elevator arrives and the two of them stepped into the confined space.

 

“Of course!” stated Fellby quickly. “Fuck, I hate the cold!” 

 

Grillby laughed slightly, shaking his head before asking, “Would you rather live here alone or in Snowdin with us?”, his voice sounding a bit softer.

 

There was a long pause.

 

The lift made a loud DING sound and the doors opened. 

 

They stepped outside, making their way up some stairs and into the central building of the Core.

 

“I'd rather be back above ground,” Fellby remarked grimly.

 

“Yeah... I think every monster would like that...” mumbled Grillby as he led the two of them towards the royal guards waiting ahead.

 

“You must be Grillby,” the head royal guardsman, a big, dragoon like monster, greeted him, moving to shake his hand. “I’m sure you know why we-“ the head guardsman paused, looking over Grillby’s shoulder at Fellby with recognition. “What are you doing here, Fellby?”  
  
Fellby let out a growl, about to make a snide remark, but Grillby cut in before he got the chance. “He’s with me. And yes, I understand the circumstances.”

 

The other guards in the room seemed to be having a hard time deciding on whom they should look at and it was not hard to become aware of the hushed whispers between them. They all seemed rather nervous about his cousin being in the area.

 

Grillby did notice that Fellby too seemed to be uncomfortable around the guards within the room.

 

Nevertheless, they were led deeper into the Core.

 

It was unimpressive to say the least. One random door in the massive complex, marked by a small “out of order” sign. The maps just listed this part as one of the side-laboratories of the Royal Scientist Complex. It did not mean much, most of the laboratories here were used by the Royal Scientist and many of them appeared to be empty now. 

 

The brute force of the Royal Guards opened the door. 

 

The laboratory was dark and empty. Nothing alive was here. Many of the doors lining the hall were closed, though a few looked to have been opened with powerful force. There were signs of fighting here, illuminated by Grillby’s own flame, but nothing that indicated something major or gave a clue as to what was going on. 

 

“Shit,” whispered Fellby as he enters the corridor behind Grillby, looking around at the destruction. “Think their rooms are somewhere in here?”

 

Their ‘rooms’.

 

The children had told them that they were in rooms before. Two of them  per one room at all times.

 

“I would think,” he replied as his own flame shine upon the glass shard from a broken door.

 

The room behind this door was bare and strangely dark given that the walls were an off shade of white. Upon closer inspection, there were scratches ranging from diminutive to deep in size on just about every surface of the room.

 

“These rooms are like cages,” Grillby mumbled more to himself than anyone in particular, disgusted.

 

“I looked around,” Fellby stated, heading further down the hall. “There are several rooms down this way though it’s hard to tell if any of them were in use… Three of them were broken open, this one included, at least. So... maybe there were only three.”

 

“I'm... a bit glad there weren't more. At least I hope so,” whispered Grillby, still looking at the room in front of him.

 

Nothing was here. No bed, nothing to play with, not even clothing. He couldn’t help thinking back at the scraps and makeshift bandages the children wore when they first came into his life. He thought about how they were amazed by the concept of a bed, overjoyed by any toy they received, of... well anything. He thought about two tiny children alone in bare rooms for years and years…

 

His flames flickered and he took a deep breath before turning away and walking down the corridor along with Fellby. 

 

They came upon a closed door at the end of the corridor. It looked remarkably different than the other doors as it had no observation window in its center.

 

Grillby reached out, taking the handle within his hand and turned it, though he is met with force. “It’s locked,” he stated blankly. 

 

“Then we melt it,” Fellby suggested, coming up next to him and reaching out. He begun melting the metal around the knob before gaining any sort of response.

 

Grillby placed his hand next to his cousin’s and together they melted the metal until there was nothing keeping the door barred.

 

The room behind the door was vastly different.  There was a hefty desk sitting in one corner together with a chair. The rest of the room was covered with shelves full of marked binders, stuffed to the brim and papers flung about almost carelessly. 

 

Fellby stayed at the door, not daring to enter the room. Maybe it was for the best, they would need any evidence they could find here and it would be bad if Fellby’s heat caused something to catch fire.

 

“Looks like they kept their documents here,” Grillby mumbled while carefully going up to the desk. He lowered his flames to the best of his ability before picking up a random sheet of paper and skimming over its contents.

 

“Oh great paperwork,” grumbled Fellby with an annoyed tone.

 

“Documents,” corrected Grillby without taking his eyes from the paper in his hand. His could feel his flames trying to heat up the more he red. “These are... reports about... about the boys.”

 

“What do they say?” asked Fellby.

 

“Not much that I can understand,” he admitted, “But there are names... Sans and Papyrus... the others are only labeled as S-2, P-2 and S-3, P-3... and there is a reference to some... video?” He quickly surveyed the room. “Do you see any video tapes around here?”

 

“Video tapes?” questioned Fellby skeptically while glancing around the room.

 

Grillby placeed the papers back on the desk and went to step back into the hallway beside Fellby.

 

The Royal Guards seemed to have noticed their exploring and quickly entered the room to begin their own search, causing Grillby to back step back into the room.

 

“Fuck who knows,” Fellby cursed. “Maybe there’s a... I don't know... some sort of video room or something?”

 

“Maybe,” mused Grillby, looking around. “It can't be to far away.” 

 

The flickering from his flames revealed another door, half hidden away behind a shelf that looked as though somebody had forcefully shoved it over the door in haste.

 

Grillby stepped up to the odd shelf and easily pushed it aside. “What do we have here?” he mused out loud. The door was not locked and opened with a soft click when he tried the handle. Grillby stepped inside, motioning for Fellby to follow.

 

Their combined flames were enough to light up the entirety of the room. It was, in fact, a video room. A large white screen took up the bulk of one of the walls and three rolls of seats stood before it. Shelves lined the two side walls filled with tapes, all of which were neatly labeled. A small desk was cramped into one corner of the room upon which a small monitor was stood along with a stack of papers. Opposite to the white screen was an old, black projector.

 

Fellby walked up to the projector, seemingly studying it for a moment before glancing towards the seats and Grillby followed his look.

 

There were  thick hide straps on a few of the chairs. Some others had chains instead; one in particular had nail marks in the arms just below the constraints.

 

“Think this could be where-“ began Fellby but stops himself. The sentence was hanging in the air between them, the implications clear.

 

Grillby felt his flames flicker. “... Pyru...” he whispered, Swabby’s words from the children's birthday still in his mind. 

 

They had made Pyru watch. They more-than- likely had him strapped into one of the chairs and had forced the young skeleton watch... something.

 

Grillby walked over to the projector and, upon inspection, noticed that a video recorder is attached to it. “There is still a tape in it,” he stated quietly, looking at Fellby, leaving an unspoken question between them. 

 

They were alone within the room. The guards were still in the connecting room going through the documents for clues and would most likely come to this room afterwards.

 

Fellby’s eyes locked his own and he gave a small nod, moving deeper into the room, closing the connecting door behind himself. “Damn it,” he cursed, coming over to the projector to stand on the opposite side of Grillby. 

 

Before Grillby could say a word, Fellby pushed the ‘Play’ button and the projector sprung to life. A soft whirling sound came from the tape within and a video begun to play, lighting up the white screen.

 

There was a cut of static before a face appeared. A skeleton face not resembling anyone Grillby knew. Their skull was oval and smooth, their eyes contains a deep purple glow that sent a chill down Grillby’s spine. The room behind the skeleton was brightly lit and seemed to be one of the... cells they had seen earlier.

 

“This is Gaster with Experiment 766 on S-2 and P-2,” the skeleton, or rather this ‘Gaster’, began; his voice a smooth baritone, yet the quality of the recording was not optimal. Gaster stepped aside and the camera’s view focused on two little bodies behind him. 

 

It was Saz and Parz. It  could not be anybody else. However, they looked so… young in the video, much smaller than when Grillby had found them in the forest outside of Snowdin.

 

Both children were strapped into a metal chair, bound by some sort of magic. Parz, who barely looked old enough to be walking, was completely immobilized by the straps whereas Saz, just a head taller than his brother, had one arm free.

 

In front of Saz, barely within hand reach, laid some kind of complex jigsaw puzzle that looked to be made out of the same strange metal as the chairs that held the boys captive.

 

However, Grillby’s attention was focused more on Saz' and Parz' faces. Both of them were completely terrified. Tears were welling up in Saz' eyes and Parz had gone far beyond bawling by this point, though Grillby noticed that Parz’ eye had not yet been damaged in these ‘experiments’ this video documented.

 

“Please, I don't wanna do this,” Saz’ fearful pleading broke through Grillby’s thoughts. “I don't wanna do this!”

 

Gaster’s seemed to be explaining something about the scene, “As you can see, the subject has to solve this puzzle… with an emotional motivator.”

 

Grillby only heard half of it. He was fixated on the two struggling children.

 

“Please help, please help me!”

 

Grillby  was not sure which was worse; Saz’ pleading or Parz' begging for his brother to help him. Or perhaps already knowing that all of their cries would be useless. 

 

“We'll see the results of the setup soon enough,” Gaster continued to explain, turning towards Saz. “Two minutes,” was all he spoke before a crackle of magic was heard over the recording and the puzzle glowed in a strange white light.

 

With his free shaking hand, Saz tried to solve to puzzle. It was some sort of sliding jigsaw puzzle but more advanced than anything Grillby had ever seen.

 

Saz seemed to do well, his little fingers dancing over rectangular pieces held upon the table before him. At least until he moved a piece to the left causing the magic around the puzzle to flash a bright red.

 

Saz' eyes widened and he cried out, “NO! NO! PLEASE, DON'T!”

 

The same red magic flashes around the chair in which Parz was held captive, the boy’s bones lighting up as an electrical shock runs through him causing him to convulse, breaking his left arm in the process. Parz’ scream pierced the recording. I let Grillbys flames shutter in horror.

 

Saz’ sobbing could be heard clearly as the scream died down. “Please... Please...”

 

“Again,” came the command. 

 

A little hand strained to reach one of the further away pieces but could not. The bonds kept him away. 

 

“Use your magic,” Gaster’s voice echoed within the tape.

 

“I... I can't!” whined Saz and Grillby felt like crying too. Saz was obviously far too young for any specific magic to manifest, especially Telekinesis! Nevertheless, the boy tried. 

There was a magic build up around his hand, clearly seen within the recording, yet nothing happened.

 

A buzz sounded as the timer rans out.

 

Another flash of red magic and Parz was shocked again. His screams were turning into gasps as he seemed to be going into shock.

 

“We shall add pain as an additional motivator,” stated Gaster on the video, making a hand gesture.

 

Before Grillby could comprehend what was happening, the magic around Saz crackled. Another flash of red and the magic broke Saz' right leg, causing him to scream out. 

 

“Again. You have two minutes,” came the new command. 

 

Saz continued to sob and plea d but tried his best to solve the task he could not possibly do. 

 

Grillby, unable to watch any more, adverted his eyes. He glanced over to Fellby who had been strangely silent the whole time. 

 

Something was wrong.

 

Fellby’s eyes were fixed on the video but he looked spaced out and his shoulders seemed stiff. 

 

“Fellby? Are you alright?” asked Grillby. 

 

Fellby’s breath hitched a bit but other than that there was no reaction.

 

Grillby pauses the video, the room was filling with silence once more.

 

Fellby  did not move or make a sound.

 

Carefully, Grillby came nearer to him, placing his hand on Fellby’s shoulder. 

 

Flames shoot up from the touch, turning purple and blue interchangeably.

 

It did not hurt but he was surprised by such a reaction and broke the contact.

 

Yes, something was very wrong here.

 

Grillby moved in front of Fellby, blocking his cousin’s view of the screen, even if there was nothing to see anymore, and took hold of his shoulders, looking the harsher flame in the eyes. There was something there he recognized.

 

“Fellby?” he tried talking to him again, still gaining no reaction from his cousin. Fellby’s eyes seemed to stare right through him. 

 

In an effort to make clearer contact, Grillby carefully reached up and removed Fellby’s sunglasses.

 

Fellby blinked, his bright white eyes unfocused for a moment, looking strangely unguarded, almost afraid. 

 

Come to think about it, up until  now, Grillby had never seen his cousin without the dark sunglasses...

 

“D... d...” Fellby muttered, a strange sound like a fire struggling to gain oxygen. He still looked dazed, his flames changing into a bluish purple, burning hotter and stronger. 

 

And Grillby realized what he was seeing. He could recognize a flashback anywhere.

 

There was no time to think about it right now, first h e had to get Fellby back to reality. He could think about the ‘Whys’ and ‘Hows’ later. 

 

“Fellby? Please calm down,” he spooke as calm and gentle as he could, doing his best to keep eye contact. “Whatever you are seeing, you... you aren't there. Just concentrate on my voice. Relax. Come back from there, Fellby... It’s alright… I’m here…”

 

Again, he reached out and placed his hand on Fellby’s shoulder, letting his magic run through his flames, turning them from there usual red-orange to a softer orange-ish yellow color. He hoped that the feeling of familiar magic would help ground Fellby in the here and now.

 

Fellby gasped at the contact, his flames around Grillby's hands starting to cool, returning to their natural blue state.

 

Grillby felt relieved. He could do this; he could calm Fellby down. “Shhh... Fellby,” he soothed, coming a step closer. He could almost feel the distress in Fellby’s flames. “Fellby, hey... come on back...” he whisperd and, looking at the flames that were slowly cooling where their bodies made contact, he took a gamble and slowly, gently pulled Fellby into a hug. “Shhh... It’s alright. I’m here.”

 

Fi rst, nothing happened. They stayed like that, Grillby gently hugging Fellby who still stood rigid and unresponsive. Then, slowly, Grillby felt a tremble running through Fellby’s flames. After a second, he noticed that it was laughter. A creepy, broken sound. Fellby’s body was quivering and his flames slowly cooling down. 

 

It chilled Grillby to his core hearing him like that. He felt himself shiver but held on, not willing to give up just when Fellby seemed to be pulling out of wherever he trapped himself in. “That's right. Just calm down,” he repeated softly. “Come back. Come down, Fellby...”

 

Then  Fellby stopped. Stopped laughing, stopped shivering. His became still, his flames a calm blue once more.

 

A long moment of silence passed between the two of them. Grillby just continued to hold on, waiting for some reaction from his cousin. 

 

“Wh...” came suddenly from Fellby. He took a deep breath, like he had been drowning, his whole body tensing and he jerked away from Grillby, looking around the room panicked. He did not seem to notice Grillby at all.

 

“Fellby? Are you back?” asked Grillby gently, taking one step towards Fellby.

 

“H-huh?”, sliped Fellby, startled. His eyes focused on Grillby for the first time since the tape started, wide like that of a wild animal and full of fear. “Where... what... fuck,” he stuttered, clearly trying to get a grip on himself.

 

“I think you had an... episode,” Grillby stated unsure. “You were spaced out and... freaking out. Calm down. The video was horrible. I shut it down for now,” he explained as calmly as he could. He just hoped that something that helped him during his own attacks would also help his cousin.

 

Fellby shook his head, taking deep breaths. He moved backwards, away from Grillby and nearly fell into one of the chairs. He cursed several times under his breath as he looked at the deep claw marks within the arm of the chair, running his fingers over them as though needing to prove to himself that they were real. “I’ll kill that bastard,” he growled out, his fist hitting the chair’s arm, causing it to crack.

 

“I want to as well,” whispered Grillby, a bit surprised by himself. It had been so long since he last felt the… desire to hunt, to hurt, to burn. He felt his flames flicker, some of them slowly shifting themselves into the hotter blue spectrum.

 

Maybe it was the heat of Hotland; he always disliked how it made him feel. How his LOVE would whisper in his mind. It was doing so at this very moment, telling over and over: He could do it. He could search for the horrible person who traumatized his children, he had a name and a face now. He could search for him and burn everything down that stood in his way and nothing or no one could stop him. 

 

“How... how could he...” he growled out, his voice sounding more like the howling of a blazing fire. 

 

How could he? How could anyone? This person was not a monster; this was a THING, an abomination that needed to be put down. For King and Monsterkin, he could...

 

No.

 

Grillby shook his head. No, that wasn't him. That was a long time ago. He did not want to hunt and hurt any more, that was just his LOVE talking. He wanted justice, yes. Not like this, however. Never like this. He took a few deep breaths of his own, calming himself down. His flames were changing back to their gentle red-orange glow. He was just a bartender in Snowdin. The war was long over. He had now six children to worry about. That was why he was here today. He had to remember to the children.

 

Grillby looked to his side where Fellby was still sitting in one of the chairs, clearly still struggling himself with... everything. “Are YOU okay?” he questioned. “What... what was that? What happened?” Never in the last year had he ever seen Fellby suffering from flashbacks. His own were rare these days but he still got them frequent enough for both Swabby and Fellby to have witnessed at least one of them.

 

Fellby did not seem to hear him at first, half looking away from him. He quickly covered his face with his hand, going still once more. “The fuck are my glasses?” he asked finally, his voice rough and sounding as though he was trying to sound angry. However, he sounded just as scared and panicked as before. It was... strange. 

 

“I have them,” replieed Grillby, holding out the sunglasses in his hand. just now realizing he still had them and feeling a bit proud of himself for not crushing them during his own fight against his LOVE. “You were freaking out, I had to make eye-contact,” he explained. “Fellby... what happened to you?” He wasn't an idiot nor blind. Something had happened, something bad, yet he had no idea what.

 

Fellby looked away and took the sunglass back, putting them on. “Shut up,” he snaped harshly, looking as if he were about to flee. 

 

“Oh no,” huffed Grillby, unwilling to let his cousin run away from this. “Fellby, please don't lock me out now. Don't do this now,” he half begged, placing himself before the chair. “What happened to you?” he demanded to know. “What did you see? You were completely gone for a minute there!”

 

“It doesn't matter,” hissed Fellby, getting angry for real. He shoved Grillby's hand away from him and stood up, but Grillby prevented him from walking away, settling again in front of him.

 

“Fellby, something like this DOES matter. Do you think I wouldn't recognize a flashback when I see one?” he asked, struggling to keep his own anger is check. He took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself before speaking again. “Look, you don't HAVE to tell me but... did you talk with anybody about this whatsoever?”

 

“FUCK YOU,” shouted Fellby, his flames flaring up dangerously. “JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”

 

“NO!” screamed Grillby back, feeling the grip he had on himself loosening, frustration and anger burning hot inside his core. Yet despite everything, there was still worry there. “You don't HAVE to be alone in this, you IDIOT!”

 

That was a major problem with his cousin. As soon as something got emotional for him or mildly distressing, he had a bad habit of turning tail and running. He would get upset over something trivial and disappear as soon as he could, turning away anybody who tried to help or speak or do anything with him. Most of the times he would just vanished for a few days, reappearing later and acting as if nothing had happened. And usually, Grillby let him do this. 

 

But not this time. Grillby was willing to let this behavior slide with something like being uncomfortable with being around many people or feeling trapped in Snowdin. But not with something like a flashback and signs of some form of past trauma that was n't treated at all.

 

“Aren't we here for the damned kids?”, snapped Fellby, meeting his eyes through the sunglasses this time, but Grillby saw the quick look that traveled to the exit.

 

Grillby grabbed hold of Fellby’s shoulders this time, trying to hold him in one place before he could flee. “The kids are safe for the moment.  **You** are a major concern at the moment for me,” he stated.

 

Fellby struggled in the grip, trying to push Grillby’s hands away. “I don't need your concern.”

 

Grillby noticed that the Guards have started peeking into the room, most likely from the noise they were making. The problem was that he really could not deal with them now. “I know,” replied Grillby, trying to keep his voice as calm and collected as he could. “But you need help and trying to deny yourself help will only result in hurting yourself.” 

 

Fellby just glared up to him. For a moment he was wondering if Fellby had always been so much shorter than him. Had Grillby always towered over him that much? “I DON'T need help, not from YOU!” shouted Fellby, struggling again against the grip that held him.

 

“Why not?” questioned Grillby, frustrated. It was a small victory that Fellby seemed to agree to needing help of some sort. Yet it was a huge frustration point that he did not want help from Grillby specifically. In addition, it kind of hurt a bit hearing that statement. “Why don't you want me to help you?”

 

“I don’t want to get into this right now,” he hissed back, his voice deep, eyes still locked on Grillby. “Lets just get this crap over and done with.”

 

Grillby glared at him.

 

Fellby glared back.

 

And something inside Grillby just... crumbled. He had fought enough battles to see when there was a lost cause standing in front of him. He let go of Fellby, slowly, and backed off a step. “Okay,” he agreed. “But... please, if you don't want to talk to me, promise me you'll talk to someone.”

 

“Whatever,” grumbled Fellby, his gaze wavering until he completely looked away from Grillby.

 

Grillby  would take this small victory for now. Fellby was right with one thing; they were here for the children. Fellby seemed stable again, but Grillby would press the matter as soon as they got home.

 

Sighing deeply, he turned around noticing that the guards have disappeared from the doorway. Maybe they had enough common sense to leave the flames to have their family drama in private. He returned his gaze to the tapes lining the walls.

 

“There are... over a thousand tapes here,” he whispered after a while. There was a tense silence in the room now and his voice seemed to echo. Grillby walked closer to one of the shelves, inspecting the labels upon the tapes held within. “Most of them are of… Saz and Parz it would seem. Though there are a few with Sans and Papyrus as well…” Their names were not noted as such on the tapes but Grillby recognized the codes “S-1, S-2, P-1, P-2” as the same that were engraved upon each of the children’s arms and legs. It made his stomach turn.

 

“Of course they'd be of those two,” Fellby muttered, glaring back to the chairs in the room before walking over to the tapes on the far side of Grillby.

 

“This... is a lot...” Grillby mumbleed, looking over to where his cousin now stood then back to the tapes. “We can't possibly watch all of them.” Not that he thought he could stomach that. He felt sick and shaken from just watching the first tape, yet his desire to understand, to know what happened to these precious children, was still strongly burning within him. 

 

Fellby let out a snort. “It'd take a while, huh?” Grillby could hear his own emotions over the matter mirrored within Fellby’s voice.

 

“Indeed,” he answered. “I should inform the Guards of this... they could look over the tapes. There are still the reports of the... experiments but... well…” It would be the most logical option to have the guards, who had no emotional attachment in the matter, to review the files. He glanced over to Fellby again. “Do you want to keep watching?”

 

Right. They had a choice to do so or not.  The chairs in front of them were standing as a reminder that there was once someone in their very shoes who did not have that choice.

 

“See any of Pyru or Suny?”, Fellby questioned, randomly taking a tape from one of the shelves and looking it over. “What the hell is with all the Ps and Ss? Shit the guy couldn't even name the brats,” he growled out.

 

“Yes... from my understanding Sans and Papyrus were given names but not by the man who hurt them,” Grillby explained. The little snips of information he got out of the children did not paint a very good picture, if any, but both Sans and Papyrus insisted that their names didn't came from the ‘bad guy’, but rather from an angel. Grillby never could make much sense out of that. “The others received their names much later from each other,” he continued. At least, this was what Suny had told him at the time. “But seeing this,” he motioned towards the various tapes, shaking his head. “I wonder about the cruelty. We monsters are supposed to be made out of love and compassion... where were these here?”

 

Fellby watcheed Grillby in silence for a moment with a expression Grillby couldn’t quite read.

 

“No... There are no tapes of Suny... no S-3 written here... but...” he reached out and took one of the tapes marked with the code P-3.3221 from the shelf. “Look, there are a few marked P-3.”

 

So Pyru had tapes for himself? No Suny... it would explain some of the boy’s comments about having protected Suny…

 

“Put it in,” stated Fellby stiffly.  
  


Grillby hesitated for a moment, looking over to Fellby. He was unsure if his cousin could handle watching another video but he doubted that Fellby would just sit back and let the guards take over. He gave a small nod of confirmation before sliding the tape in. 

 

The video started like the other did, only this time the camera focused on Pyru who seemed to be sitting in the very same room the flames were standing in now. Pyru’s arms, legs and forehead were strapped within the bonds of the chair, holding him securely, though they could not stop the boy’s trembling. Tears streamed down Pyru’s face yet he did not try to struggle or plead like his brother had. 

 

Gaster looked towards the camera, explaining his plans, “Due to S-2’s lack of endurance, we plan on using P-3 as a replacement.” His eyes shone with something Grillby only ever saw on the battlefield long ago. Absolute coldness. It made him shiver. “The modifications done to the bodies of the secondary series will be implemented after P-3 is introduced to P-2.”

 

Grillby was not a scientist but that did not sound good at all. His core shuttered and he felt a chill crawling up his back.

 

“Experiment 3221 starts now,” stated Gaster.

 

Oh stars, 3221? There were so many? Even spread out over five children that was too much! Any number would have been too much, but this?

 

Gaster walked up to Pyru and sliced off the simple green gown that was covering the boy, exposing the shaking skeleton to the audience. A little inverted white heart was resting right under his rip cage. 

 

“As you can see, the soul of this one is still intact and white. If we want to get him to the stage S-2 was before he began to fail, we have to make the changes directly,” Gaster continued and Grillby just now noticed the table full of instruments standing beside the scientist. Gaster’s long, white hand reached out and took what appeared to be some sort of drill from the table.

 

Pyru made a distressed noise, the first sound he uttered since the tape began. “N…. no…. please,” he pleaded and the sound alone broke Grillby’s heart. The boy was so scared and helpless… How could anyone place a child in such a state?

 

“Quiet,” hissed Gaster, cutting Pyru’s pleading off. “Or would you prefer I use S-3 as the replacement for this experiment?”

 

With those words, Pyru fell deathly silent.

 

Gaster placed the drill between two of Pyru's rips and pushed down, drilling right into the precious, fragile soul underneath.

 

Pyru let out a high-pitched scream, his body automatically falling into convulsions. 

 

Grillby had to stop the video, breathing heavily and his mind once again filled with a blaze and the sweet whispering of his LOVE. Besides his fury, there was an ocean of sadness and despair over what he just witnessed. “This...” he stoped mid-sentence, unable to speak as he felt bile rising in the back of his throat.

 

His cousin had his eyes closed and looked shaken as well, but not to the same extent as before. “Damn,” mumbled Fellby, taking a deep breath. “Is that even... possible?” he asked no one particular.

 

“It's...” Grillby begun, trying to find his voice again. He shook his head. “How could he... do that to anyone? Less yet to a child?” he questioned knowing no one would answer. “To... To hurt a soul like that...”

 

Fellby made a sound of agreement, looking back towards the recorder. “Let’s keep going,” he muttered, his voice sounding zombie-like. Fellby moveed over to the tape players, removeed the previous tape and replaced it with another marked “S-1 & P-1 #378”. 

 

The machine let off a soft buzz and the video starts.

 

It looked a bit glitchy as if it was older than the others and possibly corrupted by something. The image on the screen was a bit fuzzy but it was easy enough to make out a very young Sans and Papyrus. Both of the skeletons were clothed in some sort of rompers and looked happy. Some colorful stacks of blocks and other items one might see in a baby’s room were in front of them.

 

It was so... different from the other tapes.

 

Gaster was there too. He looked a bit... younger. However, it was always hard to tell with skeletons; the man could very well be 20 as he could be 118 and no one would know the difference.

 

Though Gaster did appear to be bored, perhaps frustrated… He was looking downwards into a notebook, reading to the camera instead of speaking freely as he had in previous videos. “This is Experiment 378. S and P were given multiple stacks of blocks. We will now observe which color they will use the most,” he droned, looking disgusted at the clipboard within his hand. 

 

Sans and Papyrus seemed to have fun in the background, playing with the colorful cubes. 

 

The video feed glitches suddenly, static shortly filling the screen before skipping ahead. Things were moved around when the picture became clear again, indicating a passage of time.

 

Gaster appeared even more bored as he watches the children play. Then there was a hint of a smile on his lips and purple magic flaring in his eyes. 

 

The green block in Sans' hand glowed in the same purple aura and a moment later Sans let out a high pitched scream, throwing the block away, revealing a little blackened spot on his hand bones. Obviously shaken, he shifted into his canine form and violently blasts the remaining green blocks away before giving a soft whine and curling up on himself.

 

Papyrus seemed spooked as well, crawling over to his brother and quickly hiding behind the canine, looking at the blocks with fear. 

 

Gaster laughed. 

 

“The hell?” mumbled Fellby, blinking a few times and stopping the video. “This one isn't... well as bad I guess? I mean the last part was fucked up sure, but before... fuck”

 

“It seems to be pretty early... they couldn't be older than two or three years...” 

 

“Right... so the guy wasn't a total dick at the beginning... Looks to me like he was bored with... normal stuff. This is messed up...” With that, he walked over to the shelf again, looking over all the labels. “Seems he didn't fool with Pyru or Suny too much... and he either gave up or got bored of Sans and Papyrus,” he mumbled more to himself than to Grillby. He reached out and picked up a tape with a label that Grillby couldn't see. Before he could ask what this was about, Fellby had already popped it into the recorder.

 

First, there was only static.

 

“What is that?” asked Grillby, confused. 

 

“I don't know,” replied Fellby in a strange, far away sounding voice. He placed his hands on the back of one of the chairs, leaning forward to look at the static displayed on the screen.

 

Grillby felt himself narrowing his eyes too.

 

The static begun to clear a bit after a while and a voice could be heard but not be made out too well.

 

“……………… which of you…………….. P-2 you begin……”

 

Video cut in, static leaving the screen.

 

Parz could be seen in his transformed state viciously attacking Saz who was still in his humanoid form. He was guarding his head looking as though he were having a panic attack.

 

“The fuck?” exclaimed Fellby.

 

In the video, Saz’ magic glowed brightly, a sick looking red, and Parz backed off, seeming angry but confused, unsure of what to do. Saz barely manages to move away a bit before his magic faded and he passed out. 

 

The video cut back to static.

 

“Did... did he make them fight each other?” Grillby questioned, horrified at the thought. Saz and Parz still had problems, that much he could see, but despite everything, they loved and cared for each other. They may be rough but Parz never did something like... that. Grillby just could not believe what he just saw.

 

A voice could be heard against the static again, too hazy to fully make out.

 

“…….. just children you c- …………. but the experiments aren't………….. I know that…….”

 

The voice sounded different from the one before. Moreover, it sounded furious. 

 

A split second scene appeared after that. A flash of a young Sans alone in some sort of liquid but it was over before Grillby could make out details.

 

Static took back over.

 

“Wait... did you see that?”

 

Grillby paused the video and rewinded it a bit. “Was that Sans in a...” he couldn't say it. He played the video again, trying to pause at the right moment.

 

It was ind eed a very young looking Sans. He was unconscious, his body heavily injured with a breathing mask coving his mouth as he was held suspended in a tank of glowing blue liquid. 

 

It is,” Grillby felt himself sigh out. “My stars…”

 

“But whose voice was that?” Fellby demanded, looking away from the sight displayed on the screen. “Didn't sound like the guy from the other tapes...”

 

Grillby just nodded, not having an answer for the question. Instead, he just pressed the play button again.

 

The static continued for a few seconds and cut away abruptly. This time they could see Sans and Papyrus in a similar room as Saz and Parz before.

 

“Do as you're told S-1,” commanded Gaster, though he could not be seen on the reel. 

 

“N-no I... I won't hurt him!” cried Sans, his voice tiny and high pitched.

 

Papyrus could be seen shaking from fear in front of his brother. 

 

“Very well,” Gaster replied.

 

There is a clicking sound picked up by the recording and Sans started screaming as a large shock rans through him, turning his bones an almost blinding white. 

 

The v ideo cut back to static.

 

“Oh stars... what is he...” stuttered Grillby, his flames getting brighter again. “That... he forced them to fight and... why? What was the... reason for that? Why would anyone DO something like that?”

 

However, the tape was not finished yet.

 

A voice could be heard over the static after a few seconds. It sounded almost soothing, calm - a lot similar in tone of Grillby's own when he spoke with the children. Nothing like the harshness coming from Gaster in these experiments. 

 

“………… of this test is to see how………… That's correct S-1. Wait, isn't that……… yes of your very own,” a light chuckle from the unknown speaker. “How about ‘Sans’? Do you like…….”

 

The videos cut to blackness as the reel finished.

 

“What?” exclaimed Grillby, still a bit shocked by the abrupt ending of the tape. “That last voice... who was that?” he asked, taking the tape from the recorder. “Perhaps a partner of this Gaster guy?”

 

“Don't know... think they were in on it?” answered Fellby skeptic. 

 

“They sounded a lot more... gentle,” Grillby added, thinking about it. “I don't know. Their voice was not on the other tapes... and they seemed to argue with… someone earlier in the recording... However, they did seem to know about at least Sans and Papyrus. Maybe a partner who didn't approve of the methods?”

 

Fellby shrugged at that. They really did not have much to work with. “Right,” he mumbled, eyeing everything in the room. “Let’s have the guards handle this for now.”

Which seemed to be Fellby-speech for , “I can't handle this anymore”. At least, that was how Grillby felt about the matter.

 

They  had not seen even a tenth of what was recorded here but it was enough to leave them both feeling sick and lightheaded.

 

He gave a nod before walking over to the guards who were still waiting just outside of the room and explained what they found. He felt Fellby stepping up beside him just as he reached the end of his explanation.

 

“Sounds like we got a lot of work to do,” stated the Head Guard. “Thank you, Grillby and...” they faltered, looking at Fellby before continuing, “Fellby. This... is a bit more than I was expecting here.”

 

“It was no problem. I’d gladly help you anytime,” commented Grillby honestly. 

 

“I know,” the Head Guard replied with a gentle smile. “Just go home and rest for now. Both of you.”

 

Fellby scoffed and pushed his way past the guards, walking down the long hall before Grillby could say anything.

 

His cousin seemed stressed so Grillby made his exit short, thanking the Head Guard and hurried after Fellby. “We should take the Riverperson’s boat back to Snowdin,” Grillby remarkd after several minutes of silence. To be honest, he almost feared that Fellby would have tried to walk through Waterfall in his anger. 

 

“Great,” mumbled Fellby sarcastically, but took the turn in the road leading towards the river. 

 

“They’re not so bad,” Grillby expressed with a chuckle as they walked up to the dock.

 

“Tra la la,” the Riverperson greeted them cheerfully. 

 

Fellby glared at them as he and Grillby board the boat. “Could you at least TRY to not be so goddamn cheerful?” he snarled, his flames flickering irritated.

 

“I don't know what you mean,” replied the Riverperson with a smile in their voice. “Where will it be today?”

 

Grillby shook his head, taking at seat on the beat. “Back to Snowdin please.”

 

“Please hold on.” As soon as they said that, the boat began to speed towards Snowdin.

 

Grillby held on as best as he could, quietly observing Fellby.

 

His cousin was still standing in the middle of the  boat; his arms crossed in front of his chest and looking unamused. 

 

The boat hits a small current causing the water to slosh against the sides. Thankfully, only a small bit of sprinkles of water enters the boat around the edges though not nearly enough to hurt either fire elemental.

It  did not faze Grillby much. Water would hurt, yes, but his LOVE was high enough that he could withstand quiet a bit of it before he would die. Not that he ever wanted to find out how much it would take to kill him.

A look at Fellby however showed his cousin tensing up, his flames becoming a pale bluish in color compared to his normal bright shine. He didn't know what was going on in Fellby's mind but whatever it was, it seemed to distress him greatly and there was still a very strong urge to comfort him. He just doubted his prideful cousin would allow that. 

 

Grillby was relieved when the boat slows down and finally comes to a stop. Cold air greeted Grillby and calmed his mind. He took a deep breath. He was home again  


“Here we are,” the Riverperson announceed their arrival back in Snowdin. “Come again some time.”

 

There was some snow in the air already. The blizzard season had just started though, it was not too bad at the moment. Still, they should not stay out to long. At least Fellby should get inside soon.

 

Grillby climbed out of the boat, looking back at Fellby. “Come, we better get home soon,” he stated. “At this time of the year, snow storms can come pretty suddenly...”

 

Instead of an answer or reaction, Fellby just stood still, quite.

 

A few moments of silence passed and even the Riverperson looked a bit awkwardly towards the flame still within their boat.

 

“Fellby?” questioned Grillby, worry growing within him. “Are you coming?”

 

Fellby still did not react; he remained standing in the boat, not moving an inch. Grillby was not even sure if he had blinked.

 

“Fellby?” he tried again, walking the short distance back to the boat. “Is everything alright, Fellby?”

 

Up close Fellby looked a bit like he had back in the lab, dazed and not fully aware, completely silent and far away. Grillby took a deep breath. A new flashback, maybe? He had to get his cousin out of it before he could say for sure.

 

“Hey,” he remarked as softly as he could. “Fellby, what’s wrong?” He climbed back on the boat, grateful that the Riverperson kept silent and still, and moves to Fellby’s side. Very carefully, he touched his shoulder, hoping that the contact would once again bring him back from where he drifted off to. “Fellby, can you hear me?”

 

The reaction came promptly this time. Fellby jerked with his whole body, knocking Grillby’s hand away from his body, blinking rapidity and looking confused. “What...where...?” he stuttered, looking around before focusing on Grillby. A frown spread across his face. “What?” he asks with a harsh tone before quickly stepping off boat, leaving a very confused Grillby behind.

 

After a seconds pause, Grillby shook his head, clearing the shock from his mind before hurrying after Fellby. “Fellby!” he called out. “Wait!” 

 

Fellby continued forward not slowing his pace.

 

Grillby let out a growl and crossed the distance between them in a few long strides. “Fellby! What was that?” he demanded to know. “You zoomed out for a minute there. Is everything alright?”

 

“Don't start this shit again, Grills,” Fellby hissed, increasing his speed as though trying to get away from him.

 

“What am I supposed to do? I'm worried about you!” cried Grillby, feeling his frustration and anger flare up again inside him.

 

“Would you just lay off it?” hissed Fellby again. 

 

“I just want to help you!” Grillby stated as they come upon the house.  


Fellby yanked open the front door and quickly stepped inside, trying to slam it shut behind him but Grillby cached it and came in as well, closing the door with a soft click behind him.

 

“Grillby? Fellby? Are you back?”, questioned Swabby, looking towards the door no doubt having heard their loud voices.

 

“And I said I didn't need it so lay off,” growled Fellby, annoyed.

 

The problem was, Grillby felt pretty annoyed too. “Why? Why do you not want the help you obviously need?”, questioned Grillby again, ignoring Swabby for now and concentrating fully on the harsher flame.

 

He could not understand why Fellby was so insist on turning his back to such a serious problem. A problem Grillby knew could not just be ignored and ran from. He would be damned if he let Fellby get away with ignoring THIS problem. He backed down in the lab, this time he would not.

 

Fellby let out another low growl though his flames remained the pale blue that they had changed to during the boat ride. He shoves past the confused Swabby, no doubt in effort to get some sort of barrier between them.

 

“Fellby? Hey, what's the matter?” Swabby worriedly questioned.

 

Grillby stormed past Swabby as well, following after Fellby. “Fellby!” he called out frustrated. “Why are you running away from this? FELLBY!”

 

“What happened?” Swabby questioned again, confused as to what was going on between the two.

 

“I don't know,” Grillby answered. “We saw... the tapes and that was horrible but he just... no, I'll explain later,” he added with a shake of his head as he continued to chase after Fellby. 

 

Swabby did not ask again, just following Grillby into the kitchen after the blue flame.

 

It was testament to Fellby’s state of mind; the kitchen did not have a door of it’s own and only one entrance.

 

“GO BOTHER THE BRATS” he shouted, walking up to the fridge, yanking the door open and looking at it's contents. His normal color was beginning to return; even more so, Grillby could already see a bit of violet mixed in against the blue.

 

If he were not so angry and frustrated himself, he would have realized that this would not end well.

 

He walked up to Fellby and glared at him, not willing to back down. “You had an attack, you were completely gone!” he shouted, not caring who would overhear at the moment nor whether or not this would make Fellby uncomfortable. “Twice! This is not something you should simply ignore! You zoomed out and froze on the boat just now. You could have fallen out of it and... do you even realize how dangerous this is?”

 

Swabby, bless his yellow soul, tried to get between them. “Hey,” he mutterd hesitantly, looking between the two. “Lets just um… sit down a minute and calm down a bit? Okay?”

 

“Yes, Grills,” Fellby growled out, his voice harsh once more. “STOP.” With that, he reached into the fridge and pulls out a bottle of whiskey.  
  
Grillby blinked, looking over the bottle. What was that doing there? Whiskey didn’t go in the fridge! Whiskey should not even be in the house! There where children here! Besides, Grillby himself was not a drinker. 

 

“You too, Fellby,” mumbled Swabby gently, frowning over at his cousin. “Whatever you are planning to do with that, please don't.”

 

“But,” began Grillby, though his words are cut off by Swabby.

 

“Now could somebody please tell me what’s going on?”

 

Instead of answering, Fellby let the fridge door fall shut, opened the bottle and took a long gulp.

 

Grillby felt his anger flare once more. He would need to search the whole house if there is any sort of alcohol that he did not know of. “Fellby!” he hissed out. “There are children in the house!” He hoped that his cousin would remember their six little charges and hoped that they were all still sleeping. They did not need to witness any of this…

  
Swabby did not say anything, moving back slightly to stand within the doorway, most likely to block the exit in the case that Fellby would try to flee again. Grillby was thankful for that quick thinking.  
  
Fellby finally placed the bottle down, letting out a staggered breath. His center had turned a bluish purple tone from alcohol. Great, Grillby really hoped he was not drunk now on top of everything else.

 

Frustration and anger burned within him. His flames taking a red tint to them now. Grillby really was not violent per nature, but his LOVE and his anger really urged him to hit his cousin for being the source of these feelings.

  
Fellby continued to drink a few more swigs, before turning a glare upon Grillby. “Finally finished?” he questioned mockingly. 

 

“No,” Grillby hissed back, anger barely contained. “I haven't started. YOU hadn't even started.” His flames flickered a bit, wanting out, wanting to DO something...

 

“Grillby!” Swabby exclaimed.

 

Grillby struggled to get his grip back on himself, to push his anger away. He managed to calm a bit down, his flames back where they should be. He choosed to glare at Fellby.

 

“Fellby, would you please sit down?” continued Swabby, sounding more tired than anything else.

 

“You stay out of this,” growled Fellby.

 

“I don't even know what I am supposed to stay out of!” Swabby remarked, looking at both of them. “Please tell me what happened. Did you find anything?”

 

Grillby felt like air was leaving his body. He felt too tired for this. There was no sense in forcing Fellby to start talking, so maybe a change of topic would do some good. Moreover, it could help calm himself down a bit. “Yes,” he sighed out. “The place the guards found... It was a laboratory. The Royal Laboratory. There were a lot of… reports about them. And... recordings.”

 

“Thousands of them,” added Fellby before taking another swing out of the bottle. “The bastard.”

 

“What about the tapes?” asked Swabby.

 

“Recordings of.... experiments.... really... really bad ones,” answered Grillby, his voice barely above a whisper. He did not know what was worse. What he actually saw or what his mind came up with for what must have been on the other tapes, born from his own imagination and the tiny scraps he knew from the boys themselves. He knew this would haunt him in his sleep for some time.

 

“W-what?” asked Swabby, sounding worried with a hint of fear.

 

Grillby really didn't know if it was the best idea to tell him in detail what they saw.

 

“They were showing what the bastard did to 'em,” Fellby replied, his speech already slurred a bit. Yet he continued drinking, his fire burning hotter now, shifting more and more to violet. “What he made 'em do.”

 

“What did he do?”

 

Grillby really, really did not want to tell him. He wanted to tell him not to ask but knew it would not be fair. 

 

What they saw… The life the children had before they got away. The fact that it would have continued being their life had they never got out. Some of them could very well have died… Saz and Parz were starting to fall when they arrived in his care!

 

It just really sunk in at that moment.

 

These children had endured so much and the worst part was, it was by the hand of an other monster. Nobody had known. Nobody had helped them. Moreover, nobody could ever take that back.

 

In a spur of the moment, Grillby yanked the Whisky bottle from Fellby’s hand and took a swing himself. He spoke once he finishes the bottle, his eyes stinging though not from the alcohol. “He tortured them,” he whispered.

 

It was torture, plain and simple. There was no other description that would do what they saw justice.

 

He felt Swabby staring at him, most likely shocked.

 

Fellby  did not seem to mind much.

 

A part of Grillby, the part that still wanted to smash something and burn, was a bit disappointed by that.

 

“Though we knew that much already,” Fellby commented. His flames were now a solid purple, just the tips remaining his natural blue color. “But... it was really... really heavy. All the while making Pyru watch it.”

 

“He made them hurt each other,” added Grillby, his voice sounding as haunted as he felt. “He hurt them and pitted them against each other, forced them to do task they couldn't possible do.” A sob was forcing itself out of him, his anger returning white hot, his flames reacting and blazing. “HE DRILLED INTO PYRU’S SOUL!”

 

Oh god, the scream still echoed within his mind.

Who does something like that? Who would hurt the soul of a monster, of a  **child** at that?

Through the haze of his helpless anger, he could barely hear anything, his flames a deep red.

 

Red like the cursed determination, red like the blood humans had in their bodies. So much red. They burned and screamed while he laughed as the red boiled and turned black in front of him. He had been their maelstrom, the inferno that took them away, a hellfire that came to earth because they made earth hell for his kin.

Yet they laughed too when they killed his fellow monsters, when they shattered souls and scattered dust and he hated it, he HATED it, and his LOVE just kept rising… He was screaming against it but nobody heard him over the storm and the blazing fire...

 

STOP!

 

It lasted only a second and Grillby was back, blinking. Thousand years of experience taught him how to pull himself out, to take the pictures and put them away.

 

At some point,  Fellby had begun laughing.

 

“Fellby?” asked Swabby, concerned.

 

Grillby just shook his head and looked down, glad that nobody had noticed his little trip down memory lane. One crisis at the time. He could do that much. 

 

Fellby crossed one of his hands over his stomach and covered his mouth with the other, his laugher dying down to a quiet chuckle. His flames slowly cooling back to blue. He seemed to calm down a bit and once he composed himself, he too shook his head before standing up, moving past Grillby, most likely intending to leave the kitchen.

 

Grillby reached out to him as soon as he notices what he was doing, but missed.

 

Swabby, however, was still standing in the doorway blocking the exit. He looked shaken but stood his ground, looking Fellby directly in the eyes. “Is that true?” he questioned, voice shaking slightly.

 

Fellby did not answer. Instead, he tried to move past him yet Swabby moved with him, not letting him flee.

 

Grillby ’s respect for the yellow flame only grew more at that. As much as he wished that it wasn't so, he himself had no idea what to do. 

 

“Fellby, please stay,” Swabby commented, his voice a bit more solid this time. 

 

Surprisingly, Fellby just stood there, not really looking at Swabby, swaying a tiny bit. “Swabby, move,” he ordered, his voice deeps and husky.

 

Swabby did not budge. He continued to stand in the doorway until Fellby’s eyes focused on him. “Why?” he questioned, oddly calm considering that Fellby could really hurt him if he lost control over himself.

 

Grillby  prepared himself, ready to step in if needed. But he wanted to trust Swabby with this. Maybe he could do something Grillby himself could not. 

 

Fellby reached out and grabbed hold of Swabby's shirt, yanking the monster to himself only to slam him harshly against the wall, his hands still balled in his shirt.

 

Swabby cried out, looking shocked up to Fellby. “F…Fellby?” he whispered out in disbelief. 

 

Before anything more could happen, Grillby grabed Fellby by his shoulders and spun the younger flame around to face him. “Fellby, what has gotten into you?” he shouted at him. He glanced past Fellby, glad to see that Swabby seemed to be okay. A bit rattled, but all right overall. He looked back at Fellby, furious. His cousin should know better; Swabby was not like them, he was down-right fragile next to them!

 

Before he could chide him for this however, Fellby’s flame sparkled brightly and with a cry, he swung his right arm in a wide bow, punching Grillby right in the face with a surprising amount of force.

 

Grillby was surprised by the attack, taking the hit and staggering a bit backwards. Yet somehow, he managed to kept his hold on Fellby. Despite everything, he still had a very high LOVE. Fellby's best just slightly grazed at his HP. He regained his bearing, staring at Fellby, his flames shifting into a darker red.

 

“Fellby! Grillby!” Swabby tried desperately to call out for them but Grillby ignored him and he was pretty sure Fellby didn't even noticed him.

 

Fellby let out a low growl, his flames sparking back to a solid purple. He shoved his whole weight against Grillby, pushing his hands away from him with punches and magic lava. It was a forceful attack but his moves were sloppy. Some of the attacks missed their marks and hit the table and a few chairs, causing them to ignite.

 

All the while, Grillby did not move an inch, just taking in the damage. Nothing what Fellby threw at him could really hurt him. He just kept standing there, taking in the damage while trying to snap Fellby out of his rage. 

 

“Guys! Stop it!” cried Swabby while he was putting out the flames in the kitchen. “STOP IT!”

 

Grillby would if he could. “Fellby!” he tried, shouting harshly over the sound of Fellby’s attacks. 

 

”JUST SHUT UP!” yelled Fellby loudly in reply, still attacking Grillby though now his attacks had switched to mainly punches and kicks. It seemed as if Fellby finally concluded that fire would be useless. Not that the physical attacks did any more.

 

Grillby had enough. He was done with Fellby’s bullshit. He grabbed Fellby’s arms and held them still, forcing him to stop his attacks. His own flames were now deep red, a bit blue flickering here and there. “Fellby, stop,” he spoke; his voice sounding clam and even despite everything.  


“FUCK YOU!” Fellby spit out, using a few dirty moves to try to break the hold Grillby had on him, yet it failed. “LET GO OF ME YA BASTARD!”

 

“No,” replied Grillby, glaring. “Calm down,” he added, using the best soldier voice he had, still holding on to Fellby’s wrist with an iron grip. “I'm not letting you go until you are calm.”

 

“Guys, please stop! Y… you are waking the children!” pleaded Swabby but neither flame pays him any mind.

 

Fellby continued to fight and struggle, screaming out like a wild animal until he burned through all of his energy. His harsh violet flames finally began cooling back to blue, a bit lighter than his normal color. His breathing evened out, his shoulders becoming lax but he continued to stand against Grillby. Occasionally his arms would tense as though he is going to start struggling again but a small shiver would quiver through them and he relaxed once more.

 

Slowly, bit by bit, Grillby pulled Fellby more to himself, slowly turning the hold into a hug. His flames calms down too, changing from the deep red to a gentle orange-red again. Fellby went completely silent in his arms and even Swabby seemed to be holding his breath. 

 

For a few minutes, there was nothing but the sound of their flames crackling and their breathing, Grillby was feeling every rise and fall of the flame in his arms. 

 

“Grillby?” asked Swabby, carefully walking closer to the two. “Fellby?”

 

Grillby felt Fellby tensing a bit again, his breathing becoming slightly erratic as he begun to daze off again, just as he had in the lab.

 

Grillby could not do anything except to hold on to him. “Fellby?” he whispered as gently as he could. “Hey...”

 

Swabby came nearer, standing beside him. “Is he… Fellby, are you alright?”

 

Grillby could feel how Fellby begun to quivering slightly.

 

“Hey... it's okay,” he begun to whisper, trying to be as gentle as he could manage. It seemed as if Fellby was in the beginning stage of a breakdown and it was not looking good. Still, Grillby held on, looking to Swabby for a moment before turning his attention back to Fellby.

 

Fellby breathing became more like panting; his whole body was shaking and oddly limp in Grillby’s arm.

 

Grillby was sure he was the only thing that kept the flame on his feet. There was not much he could do now other than to keep holding him. He just hoped that the things he told himself whenever he had an attack would also help his cousin. “Shhh... it’s okay,” he whispered, slowly beginning to run his hand over Fellby’s back. ”You are home. You are safe.”

 

Swabby moveed slightly, placing his hand gently on Fellby’s shoulder. Fellby’s shoulder jerked at the touch and Swabby pulled his hand back, surprised by the sudden reaction. “S…sorry,” he mumbleed.

 

“Ssshhh...” whispered Grillby again. “That was only Swabby. You know him. He will not hurt you. Calm down. Come back to us.”

 

“Where?” asked Fellby, his voice sounding strange, almost hypnotized.

 

Grillby knew his cousin was still pretty far gone but slowly coming back. Relief floods his core. He just hoped he could talk him down and out completely. “You are home,” he continued to whisper. Because, really, it was. This was home. Not just his home but theirs as well. Fellby always came back here. “You are home. In the kitchen. Swabby is standing next to me. It’s safe. Nobody here will... hurt you,” he explained gently, still more or less guessing at the problem and sticking with stuff he knew worked with him.

 

Fellby let out a hollow sounding laugh.

 

It left the flames on Grillby’s neck standing on end. “Why are you laughing?” he asked gently. 

 

Instead of answering him, Fellby stopped laughing, releasing one shaking breath after another.

 

“You are safe here. You can tell me,” continueed Grillby. Very gently, he begun rubbing small circles on Fellby’s back.

 

Swabby was still hovering nearby, seemingly caught between the desire to comfort and to give space.

 

“Fuck you,” Fellby mumbled finally, not moving an inch from his position. His face still pressed in the curve of Grillby’s neck, his words sounding slightly muffled.

 

“Why are you so angry at me?” questioned Grillby after taking a deep breath. 

 

“Quit acting all... heroic,” he mumbled, sounding... defeated, hopeless. It was so different from his usual tone that it caused Grillby’s core quiver.

 

“I'm not acting. Not heroic of otherwise,” he stated gently. Being called heroic always left a sour taste in his mouth. “I care about you. I worry about you.”

 

“I care about you too!” added Swabby.

 

“Lair,” was the only word that came from Fellby.

 

“It is not a lie!” Grillby informed him, moving his head a bit to get a better look at Fellby. “I do care about you! You are my family, I want to help you!”

  
“Why do you think we’re lying?” Swabby questioned, looking upset himself.

 

“That never matter to you before,” Fellby half growled out, cutting off Swabby’s words.

 

“What are you talking about?” asked Grillby, confused. “If you had ever needed help, I would have helped you. Even before the children came to me!”

 

Fellby just gave off the hollowed laugh again, his body shaking in Grillby’s hold. “You're doing it again,” he uttered, his voice even stranger sounding than before.

 

Grillby felt how he tried to pull away from him but he held on, not letting him go. Not like this. “No! What am I doing? Please explain,” he commanded, nearly begging. “What am I doing ‘again’? Why would I have any reason to lie to you?” He was getting more confused by the second and desperate to help his cousin, to do SOMETHING.

 

Fellby turned his head towards him, slightly tilted and glared coldly. “You never helped,” he accused.

 

“What are you even talking about? Help with what?” Grillby questioned, feeling more desperate than ever. When had Fellby needed help? When had he failed to provide something that was asked for? It had to be serious, something that could let his cousin sound so broken...

 

Fellby was again trying to shove himself away from Grillby, but Grillby continued to hold on. He did not use his full strength; he did not need to.

He felt a second pair arms joining him as S wabby comes up behind Fellby, hugging him and holding onto him just as tightly as Grillby himself.

 

“Stop trying to run away. We want to help you,” mumbled Swabby against Fellby’s shoulder.

 

“Fellby, tell me. What horrible mistake did I make that you won’t believe me? I have no idea what you are talking about,” Grillby questioned pleading.

 

Fellby squirmed at the contact but does not seem to be able to push Swabby away either. Grillby was still holding his arms down after all. “Get off,” he growled out; his voice was still pretty weak, as well as his struggling.

 

“No,” Swabby replied, causing Grillby to look at him from over Fellby’s shoulder, surprised again by the strength in Swabby’s voice. “You keep running and shutting people out and keep hurting. This stops now!” he declared. “You are family and I want to help! Grillby wants to help! But we can't if you don't explain what’s happening… or if… if you run off… so, no. I’m not letting go.”

 

There was a beat of silence after Swabby’s little speech, before Grillby himself spoke again. “When have you needed help that I denied you?” he questioned, still wanting to know what he did for Fellby to act this way.

 

“Stay out of this, Swabby,” Fellby grumbled, ignoring Grillby’s question completely. “What the hell do you know?”

 

“Not a lot,” Swabby confessed softly. “But you are my friend and hurting, so I want to help. Tell ME why you think Grillby left you hanging somewhere.”

 

“Screw you!” he spitted out, turning his head as far as he could in order to glare at the yellow flame. “We're NOT friends and all this ‘family’ crap you keep rambling on about is a bunch of bull shit!” With that, he continued struggling within their grasp, wincing after a while before turning his glare back on Grillby.

 

Swabby looked quite upset at the statement. “Do you really think so? That we are not friends?” he asked, his voice small and a little bit shaken.

 

“If you think so then tell me what I did wrong! Why did you even come here when you hate me this much?” Grillby questioned, trying to look at Fellby’s face.

 

Fellby paused. He fell silent, dropping his head onto Grillby’s shoulder, looking away. “Like you care,” he mumbled monotone.

 

And something just... snapped. All of his anger was back. Anger at Fellby for being so frustrating, for not seeing how much he actually cared. Anger at himself for somehow overlooking that his cousin had some pretty big issues. “I care, damn it!” he shouted, roared even, his flames flaring up again. 

 

Swabby stared at Grillby in shock.

 

Grillby backed up a bit and forces Fellby to look at him while he continued to rant. “I do care, Swabby cares! We fucking love you AND YOU WONT EVER LET ANYBODY HELP YOU!” he practically screamed in his face.

 

Fellby’s face changed from apathy to confusion to anger in front of his eyes. “I WAITED FOR HELP!” he screamed back. “I WAITED AND SCREAMED AND BEGGED BUT NO ONE CAME... NO ONE EVER CAME. NOT FOR ME!” His words seemed to echo inside their little kitchen.

 

Grillby just stared at Fellby in shock, trying to process this information. “W... what?” he stuttered, all anger and frustration leaving him. “When... who...?”

 

“I WAS LEFT BEHIND!” Fellby continued to scream, his voice breaking a bit with every word. “I WAS ABANDONED! FORGOTTEN!”

 

“When? Where?” whispered Grillby, his voice sounding weak to his own ears. He had not known anything about this, but there was no way somebody could fake such pain in their voice. “I.... I didn't know... by whom?”

 

“THE TWO OF YOU ALWAYS ASKED HOW I GOT ALONG SO WELL WITH THE BOYS... WITH PARZ AND SAZ WHEN THEY BACK FROM YOU” he continued, ignoring Grillby. “I UNDERSTAND THEM. I GET THEM... BETTER THAN ANYONE!”

 

“Fellby,” whispered Grillby, staring at him. “I… I never knew,” Grillby mumbled, holding Fellby close to his chest. “What happened to you?”

 

There was silence for a while, Fellby looking at him with wild, angry eyes. 

 

He lowered his head suddenly. “The same shit...” he stopped, his body jerking, seeming to loose what little energy it had. “The same shit...” he repeated. Grillby could feel Fellby’s flame cooling, could see his body turning pale blue once more. “The same shit happened to me...”

 

Grillby’s thoughts were out of control. What did he meant with ‘the same shit’? It could not be the literal same. In addition, even if Fellby was a very remote member of the family, in the Underground he had always been accounted for, somebody always knew where he was or what he was up to. He knew that much for a fact, he had asked not only his family but the guards as well soon after the harsher flame arrived on his doorstep.

 

Yet ‘the same shit’… it could not have been the exact same, but... pain? Helplessness? Being trapped? Being at the mercy of a being that would not give it? The only time period where something like that could have happened was before the barrier went up… No one knew where everybody was and Fellby was off the radar for... some time. When he reappeared, the others said he was very different...

 

The war. Something happened during the war.

 

“You... you were... during the war? But...” he shuttered out, still struggling to make sense out of it in his mind. “I... I didn't know...” He looked at Fellby’s face and it told him all he needed to know. Something had happened, something terrible and it was something that was linked to the war and to an extension himself. He felt tears prickling in his eyes, echoes from the frozen screams of his boys on the tapes still in his mind, overplayed with the idea that Fellby could have experienced something similar. He was struggling to stand, so he slowly led them all to the ground so that they were all sitting on the kitchen floor. He held Fellby close again, his mind still full of horror scenario after horror scenario of what could have possibly happened.

 

Whole villages burning. D ust piling up around monster settlements. Monsters being forced to run, to do anything to survive. Monster that came screaming, running to them crying and with a LOVE they never wanted to have pressing down on their souls, to heavy for them to bear.

 

Fellby must have been somewhere in there. Maybe on the run, hiding somewhere, waiting for some one who would not come because no one even realized that he was alive...

 

Grillby had seen so many destroyed villages, had tr aveled so far... He had sworn to protect his kin yet all he ever did was kill humans and discover dust wherever he traveled. Now it seemed that he had managed to even let his family down.

 

Fellby remained silent during all this just laying against Grillby, his eyes hollow. 

 

“I didn't know,” whispered Grillby, his voice shaky and broken. “I didn't know. I'm so sorry.” He begun crying before he realizes it, his own body light shaking. “I would have come… I should have come for you. I'm so sorry.”

 

“You,” began Fellby, his voice still weak and hollow sounding. “You were close... the humans spoke of you...”

 

“The humans?” Grillby questioned. Well, that proved his theory about Fellby being somewhere bad during the war right. “I... I never knew you were near any conflict zone…” Because Fellby should have never been there. Stars, he wished he could turn back time, travel to whatever tragedy his cousin had to endure and help him.

 

“They raided our village shortly after the war began,” Fellby mumblesd “No one was prepared...”

 

Grillby could almost see the villages the humans visited in front of his eyes. Sometimes they would receive cries for help only to arrive much too late. Other times, they planed to stop and rest at a safe haven and arrive to a burned down ruin with dust scattered across the ground. Sometimes they found survivors in the wild, wide-eyed and scared, mostly children who would tell them about a human army walking through their home, taking everything and leaving dust in their wake. Grillby remembers holding some of them in his arms while they were falling down, broken by their trauma and quickly losing all HOPE.

 

He held Fellby close to him, trying to banish the memories from his mind. “How did you escape?” he questioned, because... he wanted to know. He needed to know. 

 

“I…” Fellby began but fell silent after uttering the single word, his body giving a violent shake.

 

“It's... it's okay...” Grillby mumbled. “If you had to gain LOVE like that...” Because, really, it happened. Monster had to kill, gaining EXP and LOVE. Every new piece of LOVE pressed down on one’s soul, never going away.

 

It was silent for a long moment, before Fellby finally continued. “ I didn’t.”

 

“What?” asked Grillby confused. He didn't gain LOVE? But... “You... but... how? How are you alive?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Humans are strong and always went for the kill. If you didn't gain LOVE the how did you survive?”

 

“I didn't want to.”

 

“You... You didn't want to what?” he questioned, afraid of the answer he might receive. Still he held on to him with the slight irrational fear that something would come and turn his cousin to dust as soon as he let go. 

 

Fellby spoke again, his voice still had his hollowness as he mumbles against Grillby’s shoulder. “There were many times I just... wanted to give up,” he stated. “Many times I should have died. Yet… I couldn't.”

 

Grillby felt an increase  of weight against his shoulder. Fellby most likely had just laid the full weight of his head against him. His cousin was practically emitting exhaustion.

 

“I never knew where I was,” he continued without pause. “How many times they moved me... from one place... to another... so many faces...”

 

Grillby felt his heart breaking for him. The war took so much away from monster kind.

 

Swabby had tears in his eyes too, shifting so he could hug onto Fellby’s back.

 

It felt a bit like a group effort to hold their cousin together. To hold their family, their friend together.

 

“I am so, so sorry,” Grillby heard himself muttering. And he truly was. He had sworn to protect but failed to do so. “Who were they? Who moved you?”

 

Fellby shook his head slightly against Grillby’s shoulder. “I don't know. There were so many people, so many different places,” he whispers. “After a while it all just blended together... then they mentioned you.”

 

Grillby still held on to the broken fire elemental in his arms somewhat surprised that he was allowing Swabby and himself to practically coddle him. Grillby really didn't know if that was a good or a bad sign.

 

“You were close by. I thought... I thought...” Fellby’s voice broke a bit more at that, a strange sound escaping his throat. If it was a sob or something different, Grillby could not know.

 

It must have been terrible. To gain hope that family was fighting in the war, to know that the army that could save one was near just for it to be dashed when no one came.

 

“I'm so sorry,” repeated Grillby. “Wherever I went there was only dust. I never knew you were… I would have given anything to have known.”

 

They stayed like this for a while; Fellby still limp in Grillby’s and Swabby’s embrace, before Swabby broke the silence. “How did you get back to us?”

 

“I… I killed them… and I ran…”

 

So he had gained LOVE after all. Grillby never wished that burden on anyone. Worse still, Grillby slowly got the impression that his thought, that Fellby was on the run after his village was destroyed, was false... It sounded more and more as if he was held captive for some time until he could free himself. Of course, no one would have found him like this. Humans did not just capture monsters, they had killed them. 

 

“I'm so sorry,” he repeated, knowing it would not help anything, it would not change the horrors his cousin went through. He could say it until the day his fire extinguishes, but it would not heal the wounds left on Fellby’s mind and soul. “But why did the humans took you?” he questioned. “They killed everybody. Whenever there was an attack, there was only dust left. They never captured monsters. We never found survivors...”

 

He would never forget the images. They haunted his sleep and sometimes his waking days. Dust that piled up and clothes that were scattered across the grounds. A large robe on top of an orange and yellow striped shirt, the sleeves entangled with it…

 

Fellby had fallen silent against them, eyes closed.

 

“Fellby?” Grillby asked gently, but does not get an answer.

 

“You don't have to tell us,” whispered Swabby. “But Grillby is right, we really care about you. I wish we knew so we could have helped you sooner...”

 

Swabby had only been a child when the war started. Just a striped-shirt-wearing child, hidden away in one of the monster settlements. He could not have known and he could not have done anything. Grillby was the one who joined the army, who had the power to fight, yet did not help. 

 

“I didn't know that,” Fellby muttered. “I just... the others just... even when I returned I was alone...”

 

“But... there were still many of us left in the Underground,” stated Swabby. “Didn't... didn't they help?”

 

Fellby shook his head, burring his face deeper into Grillby’s shoulder. “It took a while to find everyone after we were cast down here,” he mumbleed, his hand clenched into the fabric of Grillby's shirt. “I knew my parents, my village wouldn't be amongst everyone... I thought for the longest time that there were no flames... then one of the guards found me and brought me to... what was left of… the family.” His voice lowers at this part becoming barely a mumble, barely understandable. “It was a mistake.”

 

Grillby barely remembered that time. After the war was... not a very good time for him. He felt suffocated by his family quickly, by their praise and demand for stories of the war. They did not understood the LOVE that kept pressing against his soul, they did not understood how war for him was not glory or adventure… He knew they tried to help, making him feel better and welcome but, ultimately, it pushed him away.

 

He did not remember anything about Fellby during that time. He knew him as a little child, shortly before Fellby’s family moved to a more remote place. He heard about him from the family since coming Underground, but never had personal contact with him until the fateful mistake of sending a text to the false phone and summoning the harsher flame to his doorstep.

 

“I think I remember but not much,” murmured Swabby, deep in thought. “I was still young... and... Yeah...” he mumbled awkwardly and Grillby had a hunch why. Swabby must have been still a kid at that time so it would make sense that he was not allowed to interact with somebody deemed ‘unsafe’ for the company of a child by the family. “What happened?”

 

“No one would have me,” answered Fellby. “Things were difficult for me. I was... really angry. All the time. And... well... I had nowhere to go so I just... ran. I found Hotland... before the city was built. The molten lava... I just... stayed there for a while.”

  
“And you stayed there all alone?” Swabby gasped, his eyes full of pity.

 

“Yeah,” he replieed softly, letting out a shaky breath. “Then others came... I'm not sure how long after... and the city was built. The other flames came too... it became so easy just… ‘being’ that I… I just didn't care any longer... I was still angry. Angry outburst led to fights... to petty crimes... I was always in trouble with the city guards. And yeah, family? They didn't want me when I was just a angry teen, now I was an angry adult with problems with the law. Did you think they... would take me in with open arms?” He let out a bitter laugh. “No, no they didn’t.”

 

“I didn't know,” mumbled Swabby, mimicking the words Grillby used earlier. Words that did nothing to make any of it better, but were still true.

 

Stars, t here was so much they didn't know and somehow Grillby had the impression that, even now, they did not know half of it. 

 

“I knew you weren't bad because... I didn't want to believe that,” continued Swabby. “But... they wouldn't tell me anything and I never knew where you were...”

 

“I hated how they told me I was a hero,” Grillby confessed. “I only killed people. You needed them more than I did yet they did not help you. This... I can't really excuse this.”

 

“But... we know now,” added Swabby, hope in his voice. “We can be there for each other now.”

 

Fellby let out a snort. “I don’t need your help.”

 

“Do you want it?” Grillby questioned and he felt Fellby stilling in his grasp. 

 

“We want to help!” continued Swabby.

 

“It is nice… having people around, isn't it?” whispered Grillby. “We three and the children?”

 

Fellby stayed silent for a long moment, seemingly thinking.

 

Grillby gave him this time. He would have to do so me thinking later himself. However, one fact stood clear, his own answer: He enjoyed this family. He really, truly, was happier this last year than... most of his life all-together. The children were a delight and each of them a challenge but also a reward. Moreover, as strange as it was to have guests in his house, he liked the company of his cousins. Swabby with his fun-loving and light personality. Fellby with his... strange ways but ultimately good soul. They both brought him joy, somebody to talk to, somebody to interact with. He loved them. He loved the children and his cousins and this strange little family they were building together. 

And judging by the way Fellby relaxed against him and Swabby smiled at him, he was pretty sure they felt the same.

 

“It's…” begun Fellby, hesitating. “Annoying,” he finished, his voice back to it's usual sharpness.

 

A movement against his shoulder told Grillby that Fellby was smiling. He couldn't help himself, he chuckled for several seconds; so, so relieved to hear the usual Fellby in these words. “Yet you always came back,” he said fondly.

 

“And I take annoying over terrible anytime,” chirped Swabby, grinning himself.

 

“You're the annoying one,” remarked Fellby, his chuckles vibrating through Grillby’s body.

 

It made Grillby so  **happy** there were barely words for it.

 

Swabby right-out giggled. “I’ll take that,” he agreed.

 

“Who am I if Swabby is the annoying one?” Grillby questioned, feeling a grin form on his face as well.

 

Fellby seemed to think on that for a moment. After a long silence, he lifted his head, looking Grillby straight in the eyes. “The servant,” he stated, completely serious.

 

Swabby erupted into laughter, leaning into Fellby to muffle the sound, his shoulders shaking.

  
“I walked right into that, huh?” Grillby sighed out, but continued smiling. 

 

Fellby fell once again limp against him, chuckling this time. “Idiot,” he mumbled with a strange fondness in his voice, before letting out a yawn.

 

“That ‘Idiot’ would be you,” remarked Grillby dryly, grinning.

 

Swabby finally seemed to gain control over his giggles. “Our Idiot,” he muttered.

 

Fellby did not protest against the notion and his new title, so Grillby booked this as a victory.

 

They stayed a bit like this, comfortable and more than a bit worn out. There  was not much resolved or talked about at the moment, but they got there, they got through the worst of the storm and they deserved the break. 

 

Fellby yawned again.

 

Grillby risked a look at the clock on the kitchen wall. “It's late,” he mumbled. “Maybe we should go to bed.”

 

Fellby just mumbled a tired “Yeah”, already half nodded off.

 

It filled Grillby with a strange fondness. He looked over to Swabby who looked just as tuckered out and tired as Grillby felt. “Go to bed. I'll put him on the couch.”

 

Swabby looked as if he really liked the idea. He begun to loosen his hold on Fellby but paused, looking concerned. “Will you be okay alone in the living room?” he asked Fellby, his voice soft.

 

Fellby let out a half-asleep hum, barely a response. He couldn't even keep his eyes fully open anymore.

 

Grillby resisted the urge to chuckle at that, gently nudging Swabby. “Go,” he whispered.

 

Swabby, bless his yellow soul, understood and with a nod to them, he let go of Fellby fully and made his way to his room as quietly as he could.

  
Grillby waited a second before slowly standing up, shifting his hold on Fellby so that he was carrying him like an overgrown child. It was a bit awkward seeing that Fellby was a lot bigger than one of the skeleton children, but Grillby managed to keep him secure and did not jostle him too badly. 

 

He slowly made his way to the couch. Roughly at the halfway point, Fellby fell asleep completely, his head slowly moving from Grillbys shoulder until he was resting against Grillby’s chest.  


It was almost adorable how much his cousin resembled the skeletons at this moment.

 

Though Fellby was hardly a child anymore. He was only a few years younger than he was! Still, even without knowing his past, Grillby had felt some sort of... responsibility for him. Knowing now just what he went through... 

 

Well, Grillby had already opened his home to him. He would never take that back. He could expand the promise he made to the children for Fellby. He wanted to.

 

There was not a force in the universe that would keep him from protecting his family.

 

He placed Fellby down on his couch, getting a blanket and tucking him in before he could really think about his actions.

 

Fellby  did not stir, most likely to exhausted from the day.

 

Grillby allowed himself to pet through the blue flames on his cousin’s head. He should head to bed as well. It had been a long day. 

 

“Sleep well,” he whispered to Fellby.

 

Fellby looked peaceful in his sleep, his body relax ed and his flame glowing softly.

 

Finally, Grillby turned around and headed up the stairs to his own bedroom.

 

Maybe he would never know the exact circumstances of the past, but Grillby knew that the future would be brighter for all of them.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flames keep stealing the show with their drama. There will be more skeletons in the next chapters. :D


	8. A dark past - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day brings us cute skeletons and talks nobody wants to have but still should have. 
> 
> Or: there is always more to everything.
> 
> Warning: Like the first part, fucked-up stuff will be discussed here. Torture, Child-Abuse, Fellbys past and the past of the children discussed and by now you should now that these aren't pretty.

Today was a bad day for Pyru.

 

No that was not right, the day itself was okay. They were woken by Swabby early this morning and got to eat breakfast made by Grillby after which they played the whole day together and it was even better because Fellby was there. Saz and Parz especially liked him and Pyru always felt more relaxed when he knew that those two were okay. 

 

Therefore , up until naptime, everything was great. However, after naptime, there was only Swabby, telling them that Grillby and Fellby had to go on some adult-trip or something…

 

Pyru loved Swabby. Really, he was... he was great. Moreover, Swabby was a bright yellow so whenever he had nightmares, he could just go to him and his flames would hold the dark memories back. There was no yellow in the place. They were just white walls and darkness. 

 

Therefore, Swabby was the best! H e laughed, joked and played with all of them, but still, Pyru was still upset that the other two flames were missing.

Swabby did his best during the day but Pyru could tell that he was nervous too. Something was wrong, something was happening and they did not know what it was. 

 

Sans seemed to share his nervousness about these things, but still put on a brave face. “I trust Grillby,” he had said. “And Fellby promised to always come back. So... So it's gonna be alright.”

 

And it really did calm him down a bit.

 

That day was spent inside, playing games and cooking with Swabby, trying not to think about when Grillby and Fellby will be back. 

 

At least Papyrus and Suny had fun that day. Their little brothers were awesome like that.

Suny seemed always to know when he was upset and  decided to be extra adorable just to make it up for him. Really, their little brother was great. 

All of his brothers were great! He loved them very, very much. 

 

T he day passed okay-ish from there. Swabby made them dinner and tucked them in, saying that the other two should be there in the morning and that the faster they went to sleep, the faster they’d be able to play with them.

 

However, things got bad…

 

He was awoken along with the others by shouting. Very loud shouting. It was even ANGRY shouting!

Sure, F ellby was loud most of the time especially when he and Swabby where mock fighting, but never like that. 

 

The worst part was when they heard Grillby shouting too. Gentle, quiet Grillby who had never raised his voice against anybody… yet they heard him screaming with so much ANGER and... they were overcome with fear.

 

Where they fighting? Why? What hap pened? Something terrible? Where they fighting against something? Did the bad man do something? Had he found them? Did somebody hurt them? What would happen?

 

There were so many questions and no way to get answers and they were all scared.

 

They stayed in their bed, huddled together, most of them in their canine form, hidden under blankets and pillows.

 

Finally, after an eternity, everything went silent…

 

The shouting was gone.

 

After a few more minutes, they could hear the telltale sound of somebody coming up the stairs. The bright yellow light that seeped under their door told them it was Swabby and they were instantly relieved.

 

Shortly after him came the red-orange glow of Grillby.  Therefore, things were most likely not BAD anymore.

 

Sans told everyone that this meant that everything would be okay. That if Swabby and Grillby went to sleep like that, they resolved whatever problem there had been. Fellby was most likely sleeping downstairs, as they had not heard the front door, so he was alright too.

Pyru c ouldn't argue with this logic so, one by one, his siblings went back to sleep. 

 

Just... he could not. He wanted... no, he NEEDED to make sure Fellby was okay and still there. 

 

So, here he was, sneaking out of their room, slowly making his way down the stairs in the middle of the night. He was nervous, even knowing that there was probably nothing to be worried about.

 

The stairs creaked under his feet and Pyru froze. For a minute or so, he did not dare move a muscle. Yet, nothing happened… Taking a deep breath, he continued his trek down and into the living room.

 

He was instantly relieved to see Fellby's blue flame illuminating the room and to see him sleeping on the couch, just like always. Slowly, he creeped closer to him.

 

He just wanted to make sure he was okay. Just... just a peek and he could go back to their room and go to sleep like he was suppose to.

 

“Kid?”

The voice made Pyru jump in surprise.

There was Fellby, slightly turned towards him, his eyes blinking tiredly and sounding hazily from sleep.

 

“Uh...” Pyru stuttered, shaken and unsure what he should do now. This was not in the plan at all. “I... I didn't want to wake you... s...sorry. But…” His bones began to rattle causing him to realize that he was shaking all over. 

 

Fellby rubbed his eyes, sitting up a bit. The blanket covering him fell a bit, brightening up the room even further. “Kid... why... are you up?” he asked, still not fully awake.

 

“Uh... we... heard shouting and it sounded bad and scary and...” Pyru rambled out as quickly as he could. “I just wanted to make sure you are okay, but it was so scary… sorry.”

 

Fellby blinked at him for a moment before cursing under his breath. “Shit kid...” He ran his hand over his face. “Sorry about... all that... you uh... you really weren't supposed to hear all that crap…” He laid back down on his side, lifting the blanket and petting the sofa in front of his stomach. “I just... uh.... I'm an idiot.”, he mumbled as an explanation.

 

Pyru took the invitation gladly, jumping up the makeshift bed and cuddles against him. The blanket came down over top of them; it felt bright and warm. He felt better like this already. “So you’re okay? You’re not going away?” he questioned, looking up into Fellby’s eyes. 

 

“Going away?” Fellby asked, arms automatically wrapping around Pyru's waist, holding him close and warm and it felt nice. He must have noticed him shaking, because Fellby blinked and looked down to him almost shocked.

 

“We... we thought something bad was happening and you would go away or…” explained Pyru. He struggled with his speech, snuggling against the welcomed heat of Fellby’s flames. There were tears in his eyes and he hoped that Fellby did not see them. “Or that the bad man found us and... and it was so scary and... and the screaming was like... was bad.”

Screaming was always bad.

Pyru began shaking harder.

 

Screaming often meant his brothers were getting hurt. His brothers who didn't even  have a name when he saw them and heard their screams.

He really wished h e could forget what he saw… no matter how hard he tried, the memories would always reappear in his dreams. 

 

“ _Don't struggle or I'll use S-3 as the replacement._ _”_

 

The bad man was always saying that. Don't struggle or he would do that to Suny. The bad man had already done bad things to two others, just like him… and the one he called S-2 looked so much like his brother and knowing that he was slowly falling down as time went on... 

 

He was so glad that they were freed by whatever miracle, random chance, angel or whatever it was, but what happened still stayed with him. Screaming was bad. Screaming meant that somebody got hurt... 

 

“Shit, Kid...” Pyru felt himself being pulled closer to the warm body, arms wrapping themselves tightly around him though not locking the hold, being easily breakable for him but not for any outside force. “Shhhhh,” Fellby's voice whispered to him. “I... shit...” 

 

Pyru just grabbed hold of Fellby's shirt tightly.

Screaming meant somebody got hurt or will get hurt! There were too many hurt already and he did not want to loose one of his new uncles. 

 

”Please don't go,” he whined. “P... please... t... they screamed... so much and... and got hurt... please don't get hurt,” the last words may have been broken and scrabbled by the heavy sobs that shook his whole body. 

 

“I... uh...” came from Fellby, his voice resonating through his body.  
  
Pyru felt some hesitant pets against his back. They were... kinda nice.  
  
“I'm um... its okay kid.... c-calm down now,” Fellby said, his voice a bit smaller than usual. Soothing.

It was not exactly the best pep talk he ever got, but Fellby’s words helped to calm him. His trembling slows down more and more. Fellby was still there and being pet by him feels nice. His hands are warm and soft, very different from the bad guy.

 

“It's okay, kid,” Fellby continued to mumble softly. “I ain't going no where...”

 

Pyru was still trembling, despite everything. He tried to focus on the voice but it just didn't work.

 

Then there was a new sound.

 

Humming!

 

It was just a few notes... but it was there an d… It was Fellby!

Pyru could feel Fellby’s flames vibrating with each note. 

It was quiet, just barely there but it was something Pyru could latch himself on to. He felt himself slowly calming down more and more, his breathing matching the ins-and-outs of Fellby’s torso.

 

Fellby had a very nice voice. 

 

After a short while, the humming began to turn into a melody. A simple one, similar to a lullaby. Calm and quiet.

It fascinated Pyru. He stilled more, focusing fully on the simple noise.

 

Soon, the humming turned into  soft noise; not really words, just syllables to help carry the tune. It was a clear melody; a few parts repeating themselves with no great highs or deep lows. Just a calm, relaxing melody. 

 

Pyru listened to Fellby, not daring to make a sound. He had never heard anything like this before! He snuggles closer to him and smiles, relaxing against the blue glow.

 

A few minutes later, Fellby actually began to sing, his voice low, deep and gentle.

The melody  did not carry far but it was not needed and the lyrics where... words but Pyru did not understand them. Still, he was very enraptured now. His breaths were deep and slow, his body had long since stopped trembling. Everything just... went away. It was only him, Fellby and the lullaby.

 

“ _Es rüttelt sich der Blütenbaum,”_ sang Fellby, his voice rising a bit but remaining gentle, _“er säuselt wie im Traum... Schlafe, schlafe, schlaf ein, mein Kindelein...”_

 

It seemed to be some kind of refrain; the words repeated a few times. Whatever the words meant, it was beautiful and Pyru felt himself drifting off, barely able to keep his eyes open.

 

After a while, however, Fellby ’s voice faded out midway through maybe the third verse, not finishing the song.

 

Pyru stirred, looking up to Fellby. “T… that sounded nice...” he mumbled. “Can you... continue?” Normally he would not ask for anything like that but... it was so pretty. He really wanted to hear more of the song. Moreover, Fellby could SING! 

 

Fellby’s face flushed purple at his request and he looked away. “Go to sleep!” he said, his voice coming out a bit pitched from... embarrassment?

 

“Pleeeeesase?” pleaded Pyru, looking with begging eyes at Fellby. “I'll sleep, promise. I just wanna hear the rest...”

 

Fellby stared at him for a second before looking away again, at something far away and over Pyru’s head. He still looked flustered but continued the song, this time even prettier with more volume in the notes.

 

Pyru felt himself grinning a bit and snuggles closer to Fellby, settling down. He closed his eyes and relaxed once more, concentrating fully on the song.

 

“ _Schlafe, schlafe, schlaf ein, mein Kindelein...“_

 

With a deep sigh, sleep overtook him.  
  


 

 

 

The next morning came a bit too soon for Grillby . His alarm clock woke him like always, but he did not feel particularly rested. 

 

Ah, yesterday. That  was the reason. 

But there was n o time to think on that now, he had a long day ahead of him.

He quickly got himself ready for the day and headed out of his room. 

 

 

The morning for Swabby started with the realization that he never knew just how much Fellby has been hurt. He really did not know what to think about the fact that his family had let him down so much... 

 

He had decided the previous night that he would polish up his knowledge about trauma and it's aftereffects. He had red a human book about PTSD once and it applied quiet nicely to what he knew and witnessed from Grillby, so maybe he could use this knowledge to understand and maybe help Fellby too?

 

The only problem was, Grillby at least never denied that he was not okay all the time. Swabby had seen him walk into the forest a few times and had found a track of molten rock later. He had seen him sitting in the kitchen late at night sometimes as well, a cup of Sea Tea in front of him. They never really talked about it and Swabby did not want to pressure him. 

 

Fellby on the other hand… He had looked so miserable. Moreover, Swabby had no clue how to help him. At least they knew now... even if Swabby feared that they did not have the full story yet.

Nevertheless, the past is in the past, they would have to work hard to make the future better. That means getting up, helping the kids and have a nice breakfast and see what would happen from there.

 

 

Grillby and Swabby met in the hallway, in front of the children’s door. They greeted each other and, seeing what had happened the last night, both peeked into the room of the children, wanting to make sure everything is alright.

 

They were greeted with a very cute pile of bone-children.

 

Parz was snuggled up to Saz and Papyrus. Papyrus, in turn, was holding Suny close to his chest, his head lying on Sans’ stomach. Saz looks very content in his sleep while Sans himself held on tightly onto Suny and Papyrus.

The little noise made by opening the door seemed to have stirred Suny a bit. He made a soft sound, something between a “meep” and a yawn, while burying his head within Papyrus' chest, which caused Papyrus to mumble something that sounded like it could have been something to do with puzzles and flowers. Parz jerked his arm to the side slightly but it did not seem to faze any of the skeletons around him, leaving the children to continue to sleep peacefully.

 

But somebody was missing...

 

“Where is Pyru?” whispered Swabby worried. It was not unusual for one of the children to have a nightmare and seek comfort from either of them, but usually Pyru came to him.

 

Grillby looked at Swabby, worry on his face. “He wasn't with you?”

 

“No...”

 

“You look in first floor, I take the second.”

 

Swabby nodded and hurried downstairs, while Grillby went to search the other rooms. He would have moved past the living room, not wanting to wake Fellby after what occurred last night, if he had not noticed the small movement coming from the couch. Curiously, he came closer and had to cover his mouth as to not squeal out. 

 

On the couch was Fellby, still asleep and curled up in a baby blue blanket, little Pyru snuggled against him. Fellby was holding the little child, who had transformed into his puppy form, close. Both appeared very content and comfortable in this position. 

  
“Oh my stars, this is absolutely adorable,” whispered Swabby, unable to contain himself. 

 

Needless to say, a photo of this moment  went straight into his blackmail material. Tons of photos were made actually. You could say a skele-ton.

 

Swabby really could not restrain himself; this was too good, too cute!

 

“Swabby? Did you find...” Grillby’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

 

Swabby turned around and hushed Grillby quickly, a grin visible on his face. “Shhhhhhhhhh!” he whispered, flames glowing bright with excitement. “Look!”

 

Grillby turned his attention to the direction Swabby was pointing to and instantly broke into a smile himself, warmth spreading through his core. “Come on, before they wake,” he whispered, taking Swabby by his biceps and gently guided, or rather forced, the small flame out of the room, directing them towards the kitchen. 

 

Before they were completely out of sight, Fellby seemed to stir.

The y both stopped and looked to their cousin.

Fellby made a noise, something between a hum and a growl, before curling up more around the child within his arms, resting his head on the small skull.

 

Swabby made a quiet, high-pitched noise, taking out his camera once again and quickly took another picture.

 

Grillby did not had the heart to stop him, chuckling as Pyru nuzzled against Fellby more.

 

“I'm dying, this is too cute,” whispered Swabby, his flames glowing a happy yellow and almost vibrating. 

 

“Come on, Swabby,” Grillby whispered back. “I'm going to start breakfast. Would you mind waking the other children?”

 

“Can I install a hidden camera in you living room?” questioned Swabby, looking Grillby in the eyes. “For future cuteness capturing.”

 

“No.”

 

“Awww.”

 

Grillby half-pushed Swabby towards the stairs, giving him a LOOK.

 

Swabby giggles and made his way upstairs as Grillby entered the kitchen to starting making breakfast and fresh coffee. 

 

 

 

The children, mea nwhile, were beginning to wake.

Suny, usually the first to wake, blinked a few times, the light in his blue eyes becoming stronger as he looked around, registering that Sans and Papyrus were curled around him. “Sans?” he mumbled, poking at his brother. “Are you awake?”

 

Sans stirred, turning his head towards him and yawning. “Hmm... Suny?” he mumbled, clearly only half awake.

 

Before Suny could say more, the door opened and Swabby walked in, illuminating the room even more. Suny blinked, Swabby seemed to be a bit glowier than yesterday. Maybe the bad noises really were just a dream?

 

“Good morning, children!” he greeted them cheerful, coming up to their bed and smiling at them like always.

 

Saz was awoken by that but opted to snuggle against Parz, mumbling something about “five more minutes”.

Parz remained asleep, allowing the contact.

Papyrus stirred too but seemed much more awake than the others. He let out a yawn and greeted Swabby with a cheerful “good morning” too.

Suny sat up and smiled brightly at Swabby. “Morning! Is breakfast ready already?” 

  
“Grillby is making some as we speak,” Swabby replied, sitting down next to the children on the bed.

 

Sans blinked and let out a long yawn. “Is Pyru still down?”

  
“Yes. He is with Fellby. Its adorable,” Swabby answered, unable to hide the giddiness from his voice, because, really, it was that cute.

 

Sans seemed to be happ y with the answer, relaxing once more and yawning widely. 

 

Suny stood and ran up to Swabby, hugging him enthusiastic while giggling.

 

Papyrus got up behind his brother, hugging Swabby too. He quickly noticed both Saz and Parz still laying in bed: Parz fast asleep and Saz smiling, not willing to move a bit. “Look at Parz,” he stated, hands on his hips. “We have another lazybones.”

 

“Yes! I'm not it!” exclaimed Sans, throwing his arms into the air as if he just won an important race. 

 

Swabby smiled at the antics of the children, patting both Suny and Papyrus on the head before standing up again. “Come on, boys. Let's get you ready for breakfast,” he said, picking up Suny and tickling him lightly. The boy giggled and laughed while Swabby carried him over the closet, where he helped him into his clothes. 

 

Sans got out of bed slowly, still yawning and draped himself over Papyrus, hugging him tightly as he squirmed. 

 

“Sans! Come on, you’re heavy!”

 

“Seems like I am big boned, huh?”

 

“No, you're a bone-head!”

 

“Hehe... good one.”

 

“Saaaaaans!”

 

Both of them giggled, Papyrus turning around and giving Sans a proper hug, before going and pulling out clothing for the others. He turned around, looking at Saz and Parz before turning his attention back to Sans. “Sans, can you wake those two?” he asked while looking over an array of sweaters and socks. 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” mumbled Sans, chuckling. He climbed back into the bed, crawling over to Saz and Parz, and sat down next to them. Carefully, he poked both of them in the side. “Guys? Come on, it's morning. We gotta get up.”

 

“Do we have to?” mumbled Saz, still not quite willing to give up snuggle-time with his brother. Their relationship was still... strange sometimes. Better than ever, better than in the lab or the time they were to hurt to do anything, but still... moments like these were precious. 

Parz grumbled in his sleep, pulling Saz closer to him like a teddy bear, prompting Saz to go still again. 

 

Sans felt his resolve wavering. He knew those two really had a hard time with affection and it meant a lot for Saz to have some quality time with Parz. 

 

“Guuuuuuys! It's morning!” chipped Suny, now dressed for the day in a blue and yellow stripped sweater. “You two have to get up or you won't get breakfast! And without breakfast, you can't play!” he exclaimed, coming over to looking sternly at Parz and Saz. The result was more adorable than anything else but it was the thought that counted. 

 

“You should listen to him,” Swabby said gently as he dresses Papyrus. After all, Grillby would have to work soon and the children most likely would like to see him before he left.

 

Saz sighed deeply before shaking his brother. “Parz? Wake up,” he mumbled, but Parz just grumbled, trying to snuggle Saz and refusing to wake. A few wriggles, even shifting in his canine form, did not free him from his brother’s hold. Saz was truly trapped. 

 

In Suny's eyes, this just would not do! Resolve on his face he turned to Sans. “Aren't you going to get dressed, Sans?” he asked, determined to at least get this angle of operation ‘get ready for day’ covered and moving.

 

Sans chuckled a bit. “Are you waking Parz?”

 

“Yes!” Suny chirpped. “You go change; I'll handle our lazybones brother.”

 

Grinning, Sans agreed.

 

Parz frowned at the noise around him. “Go 'way,” came the muffled voice, still snuggling Saz close.

 

Saz seemed to have given up on the situation, a ccepting his fate. 

 

“Quit being a lazybones, Parz,” huffed Papyrus, just finishing dressing in a white and red striped sweater and, of course, his favorite red scarf.

 

Suny thought about the situation, no, the puzzle at hand.

Parz seemed to refuse the idea of being woken or letting go of Saz, so maybe he should start with freeing Saz! He took hold of Saz' hand and tried to help pull him away. It did not work; Saz did not move an inch. The only effect this had was that Parz grabbed a pillow with his free hand and covered his head with it.

Sighing, Suny sat down in front of them and frowned. This was harder than he thought. He turned around when he heared a giggle behind him.

 

Sans, who now was wearing a bright blue and white stripped hoodie, came over again with mischief glowing in his eyes. “Wait... Let me try something, bro,” he said, winking.

 

Suny nodded, curious what his brother was planning.

 

Sans' grin got a bit wider and his left eye begun glowing bright blue.

 

A blue aura surrounded Parz, lifting him up a bit, freeing Saz in the process.

 

“Paaarz!” Sans sang out. “Wake uuuuup!”

 

Parz' eyes flew open, clearly shocked. He let out a shout and released Saz fully. Saz himself gave a surprised shout and landed safely on the soft bed. 

 

Sans giggled at him, clearly amused. “Woke you,” he stated cheeky, while letting Parz back down on the bed.

 

Parz growled at him, half shoving Saz away, looking very disgruntled.

 

Suny helped Saz up, a bit afraid that Parz would just trap him again.

 

Saz smiled a weakly. Even if he tried to imitate the more aggressive and rough behavior of his younger brother, nobody could be rough towards Suny… Therefore, he allowed himself to be lead towards Swabby with only the minimum of resistance, grabbing his clothes.

 

Parz, meanwhile, was still glaring at Sans and complaining about his methods of waking him.

 

“It's your fault for being a lazybones!” stated Papyrus finally, coming to his brother’s defense.

 

Sans just giggled a bit at the sight of Papyrus, who was still more than a head shorter than him, standing in front of him with crossed arms and a frown on his little face.

 

“You can come over too, Parz,” said Swabby, who was helping Saz now donning a red and black stripped sweater. Saz and Parz both had troubles with clothes due to having more edges and sharp corners on their skulls and joints. Swabby was already gently preventing the fabric of the sweater from catching in one of the protrusions on Saz' skull. 

 

Parz frowned but finally rolled out of the bed, still glaring at Sans. 

 

“Sorry, Parz,” giggled Sans. “But we had to rescue Saz.”

 

Parz just huffed and walked over to Swabby, holding his arms up, allowing the flame elemental to help him get into his clothes too.

 

Suny was running around the room by now, nearly vibrating with unused energy as he waited for everyone to get ready.

 

Saz reached out as Suny ran past him and grabbed hold of the smaller skeletons in mid-jump and hugged – uh trap held! – him tightly to his chest.

 

Suny, however, seemed excited by the contact and wrapped his arms tightly around Saz in a bear hug.

 

“You were very tired today, huh?” stated Swabby gently as he placed his hand over the ragged scars that ran over the left side of Parz' skull. Swabby was very glad that it did not seem to effect Parz' eyesight.

 

“There was a lot of yelling,” mumbled Papyrus. “So we didn't sleep well.”

 

“And Pyru went to look but never came back,” added Suny, looking over to Sans as if asking a question.

 

Sans shrugged and smiled towards the small skeleton. “He was with Fellby and they were okay,” he mumbled. “I checked,” he added when he notices Swabby looking at him.

 

“You heard that?” Swabby asked, feeling a mix of embarrassment and horror. Really, they were adults, they should have been able to handle things more quietly... on the other hand, he couldn't hold the whole thing against Fellby or Grillby. The ordeal was rather… messy.

 

“Yeah,” answered Saz, pulling Swabby out of his musings. “It was really loud and...” his voice trailed off and he looked down to the ground, looking uncomfortable as soon as Parz’ eye fell on him.

 

“It was scary,” finished Sans. “We thought something bad happened. But it went quiet and you and Grillby came up… so Pyru went down to check. He didn't came back so I checked an he was with Fellby.”

 

“Is… everything okay? Fellby isn’t going to leave again?” Saz asked, his voice tiny and concerned. It nearly broke Swabby's heart.

 

“Uh… no… no,” Swabby replied, trying to sound as optimistic and sure of everything as he could. “I'm sorry you heard that… but it’s okay. Everybody is okay.” Well, at least he told himself that.

 

“Well, Pyru was with him!” chirped Suny happily. “Pyru wouldn't let him leave! So he can't leave!” He took hold of Saz' hands and nearly spun him around in a full circle as he began jumping up and down, laughing all the way. “He stays, he stays!” he cheered.

 

Saz, on the other hand, seemed surprised by the sudden cheers and jumping, quickly becoming dizzy.

 

Despite everything, these children were still just kids. 

 

“Yeah, Pyru wouldn't let him leave,” Sans agreed, smiling at his brothers. 

 

“Yeah, me neither,” stated Saz, trying to hold Suny still. Or at least get him to stop spinning him around in his excitement.

 

Swabby finally managed to get Parz' shirt and sweater on without any accidents and patted him on the head, chuckling at the antics of the children. “So,” he began, ginning at them. “Are all of you ready for the day? Moreover, you are forgetting something: Grillby and I won't let that silly flame go without a fight. We are family after all!”

 

Sans smiled at him a bit, obviously happy about the comment.

Suny giggled happily, wrapping his arms around Saz in a tight hug in response to the other skeleton trying to keep him still. It is a double trap hold now!

 

Papyrus, on the other hand, frowned at Swabby’s words. “But we don't want you to fight each other,” he stated pouting.

 

Swabby paused for a moment before smiling. He moved to his knees so that he can speak with the children eye to eye, lowering his voice to a more gentle and calm tone. “Hey... Me and Grillby and Fellby... We are adult monsters. Sometimes we get a bit silly and fight. Yesterday... was an extreme situation.” One could say that about the matter. “But we resolved it. Fights happen but we are still family and we still love you.” He smiled at them, looking at each of them. “And now we are going to eat breakfast together, okay?”

 

“But why would you fight?” asked Papyrus, confused while his siblings walk over to Swabby; Suny taking hold of one of Swabby’s hands and Parz taking Swabby’s other hand. “Adults are weird...”

 

Swabby chuckled. “That we are...” he agrees, smiling before sighing and looking at Papyrus seriously. “But... fights happen. Sometimes we hurt each other without meaning to or knowing that we do so. And... Yesterday was not a good day for Grillby and Fellby. But they are better now so don't worry.” 

 

Papyrus seemed to think about his answer, before nodding, accepting his explanation. He took hold of Sans' hand, getting ready to go downstairs with the rest of them. 

 

“Okay, let's go!” said Swabby cheerfully as he opens the door, leading them downstairs. 

 

 

 

Grillby in the meantime almost had breakfast finished.  
He estimated that Swabby would come down with the children any minute; therefore, it was best to wake Fellby now, figuring that his cousin would not appreciate it should the more hyperactive members of the household such as Suny woke him…

Grillby entered the living room, the sight of Fellby sleeping with Pyru curled up next to him still managing to make him smile and he truly hated having to ruin the moment. “Fellby?” he called out gently, trying to hide his amusement.

 

“Hm?” is the only response he received from Fellby, nothing more.

 

Grillby could not suppress his chuckle and sat down beside the blue flame on the couch. “Good morning, Fellby,” he stated. “Come on now, wake up.” He reaches out and touches Fellby’s shoulder gently.

 

As soon as his hand landed on Fellby’s shoulder, Fellby’s eyes snapped open and he slapped Grillby's hand away, before really noticing who it is. His body tensed and his eyes looked wildly around before falling on Grillby. “Shit,” he sighed out but quickly relaxes once more. “What?” he mumbled, an annoying undertone in his otherwise tired voice.

 

Grillby continued to smile. “I thought you may want to be awake for breakfast. And before Swabby finds you,” he added, pointing down towards Pyru who was still sleeping soundly. “When did that happen?”

 

Pyru choose this moment to yawn and snuggle closer to Fellby.

 

Fellby himself looked down and seemed only now to register the little bone dog. He quickly yanked away from Pyru, his flames flushing a tiny bit violet, and sat up, causing the boy to fall forwards into the spot in they had be laying.

 

This, of course, woke Pyru causing him to look tired and surprised, making a confused sound before shifting back in his humanoid form, looking at the two flames. “Fellby? Grillby?” he questioned confused between yawning. “Is it morning?”

 

“It seems like it, little one,” Grillby answered.

 

Before anybody could say anything more, the sound of several feet on the stairs drew their attention to Swabby and the other children joining them in the living room.

 

Fellby sighed deeply, looking at them and trying very hard to look like his usual gruff self. “Morning brats,” he greeted them like always, earning mumbled and yawned responses as well as a very energetic “MORNING!” from Suny.

 

Pyru perked up upon seeing his siblings, jumping from the couch and greeted them as well. 

 

Grillby smiled and stood, walking towards the children. “Come along everyone,” he told them gently as he lead the small herd to the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready.” 

 

Swabby smirked down at Fellby. “Slept well?” he asked cheekily. 

 

“Shut up,” growled Fellby, glaring up at the yellow flame.

 

Swabby giggled. “I'm the annoying one remember?” he asked before his voice took a more gentle tone as he continued. “How are you?” he asked, walking over to him and sitting down where Grillby just left.

 

“No shit, you're annoying,” mumbled Fellby in return, putting his hand on Swabby's shoulder and pushing him away, although not harshly. “I'm tired.”

 

“There is coffee and family in the kitchen,” Swabby offered, patting the hand that was still on his shoulder. “Don't push us away, okay?”

 

Fellby stared at him for a long moment before yanking his hand away. “Don't coddle me, ya ninny,” he grumbled, looking away. “I was drunk. That's it.” He stood and quickly headed into kitchen, his flames still a holding tint of violet in them.

 

“You keep telling that to yourself,” he said playfully, following him and sitting down across from him at the table. 

 

Grillby had already gotten all of the children in their chairs and had a plate of food in front of everybody.

Sans was grinni ng happily over his breakfast, already stabbing away at the strawberries and trying his hardest to pin one on his fork.

Saz, on the other hand, had this look of resignation on his face. Suny would most likely use him as a rag doll for the rest of the day and there was little he could do against it. He took this fact with a stoic expression like a burdened hero in a western drama.

Suny was vibrating with  unspent energy and Papyrus was digging in his breakfast with gusto.

 

Pyru yawned, looking much more happy and relaxed than the last few days.

 

Suny looked at him, pouting a bit “Pyru, you were gone all night! Why didn't you come back?”

 

“Sorry, I kinda fell asleep,” mumbled Pyru, smiling sheepishly.

 

Suny  could not keep up the pout, looking at him with his default smile, kicking his legs back and fourth in the chair.

 

“Buuuuut,” continued Pyru, grinning widely. “I have something to tell you! The most amazing thing!”

 

“Huh? What?” questioned Sans while dousing his toast in ketchup, looking curious like the other children. 

 

Pyru hesitated, looking towards Grillby and Swabby, before shaking his head. “Later, I promise!” he whispered, beginning to eat himself.

 

Grillby chose this moment to place a plate with food and a cup of coffee in front of both Swabby and Fellby. “Dig in,” he told the two before fixing himself something to eat and sitting down with the rest of the family.

 

 

 

Once they finish eating their breakfast, the children, or rather Suny, announced that they were all going to go play in their room.

 

No one even bothered trying to stop them as the child run up the stairs together, enter the room and practically slammed the door behind them.

 

As soon as they are inside, Sans flopped down on a pillow, mumbling something about softness and never getting up again.

Pyru curled up beside the heater, already missing the feeling of sleeping next to the warm flame body of his uncle.

Saz quickly sat down on a pillow next to Pyru, looking at him with an serious expression and crossed his arms. “You promised that you would tell us a secret,” he stated.

 

“Uhhh! I wanna know too, please, please, please!” chipped Suny, sitting down directly in front of Pyru and vibrating from pent-up energy.

Papyrus and Parz came over as well, curious about the secret their brother was keeping.

 

“Okay, okay! I'll tell!” chuckled Pyru, stretching and sitting back up. He grined at his brothers. “I discovered something amazing,” he stated enthusiastically, an orange colored blush appearing around his cheekbones. “Fellby... he can sing! Really, really pretty!”

 

The reactions from his brothers were great.

A wall of confused “WHAT?” and “ REALLY” hit him all at once.

Even Parz blinked at his statement and stared at him flabbergasted. “That... no way! You... you're serious?” he asked.

 

“Singing? Like music? But... But not even Grillby has ever singed to us,” mumbled Papyrus. 

 

“I wanna hear!” stated Suny, bouncing excited in his spot. “I wanna hear!”

 

“Yeah he sung for me,” confirmed Pyru, snuggling a little closer to the heater. “I... got really upset and he calmed me down,” he mumbled.

 

Sans looked at him with understanding. “The screams?” he questioned, knowing that Pyru was just as prone to nightmares as he himself . Loud noises and screaming did seem to set him off… 

 

Pyru nodded, but smiles softly. “Yeah... it... it was bad... but Fellby cheered me right up.”

 

“Now I wanna hear too...” mumbled Saz quietly.

 

“Are you sure it was Fellby and not Swabby?” Parz asked skeptically, his eyes still locked on Pyru. 

  
“And why did only you get to hear the song?” Papyrus added, pouting about missing out on something this exciting.

 

“It wasn't scary at all?” Suny questioned, remembering the one time Fellby told them all a very scary bedtime story. None of them could sleep afterwards, not even Saz and Parz! So, for him to sing a sweet song was a bit of a stretch. 

 

“Or maybe you dreamed it?” offered Parz. 

 

“That would have been a nice dream,” mumbled Suny, smiling.

 

“But if it wasn't a dream, I'd like to hear it too!” exclaimed Papyrus firmly.

 

“It sure was Fellby!” huffed Pyru. “Well, I think he was shy with singing… But it was really, really nice and he has a pretty singing voice... so I don't know why he’s so shy about it...”

 

“If that is true... it would be cool to hear him,” mumbled Parz still disbelieving him.

 

“Yeah!” shouted Suny, standing up and raising his arms high. “It would be soooooo great and...” he trailed off, his eyes becoming huge as an idea crossed his mind. “Hey, hey! Do you think he'd sing to us too? If we asked him really nicely?”

 

“Maybe?” answered Sans with a shrug of his shoulder. “We could try it.”

 

“Let's ask him! Let's ask him!” chirped Suny excited and was halfway to the door when Pyru snatched him up and cuddled him close, earning some giggles from the tiny skeleton.

 

“Not now... Tonight!” he stated, smiling and struggling to keep hold on his brother. “I think he won't sing during the day. Remember, shy.”

 

“Oh... okay,” Suny giggled out, covering his mouth. 

 

Parz thought about all of this for a moment, making a serious face, before nodding in agreement. “Okay,” he agreed. “After Grillby puts us to bed, we'll sneak out. Tonight.”

 

Suny cheered with excitement, pulling out of Pyru’s grip and took hold of Saz' hands before jumping around the room with the other boy in toll.

Saz had no other choice but to hold on, looking pleadingly toward Parz, silently asking for help.

 

Papyrus cheered both of them on, a huge smile on his face and almost glowing from excitement.

 

“Welp,” Sans stated, leaning backwards. “I guess we have a good plan.”

 

“I'm sure he'll sing for us,” stated Pyru, determined. “We just have to ask.”

 

“I hope so,” Sans said, giggling a bit before looking over to Pyru, observing him while he flops down again, looking more tired than before. “You okay?” he asked, concern for his brother rising in his bones.

 

Pyru smiled up at him and nodded. “I've slept soooo much better this night... but I'm still tired,” he mumbled, barely containing a yawn. 

 

Sans reached down, giving his brother a light pet on the skull.

 

Both of them stayed like this for a while, watching the antics of their brothers, before Sans broke the silence. “I also wanna know why they were fighting,” he muttered. “Swabby said everything is alright... but Grillby was screaming. This... is something serious.”

 

“They need to give each other big hugs!” Suny exclaimed, laughing. He stopped dancing around for a moment and turned, hugging Saz tightly to himself.

 

“I don't think I've ever seen them hug one another,” Papyrus mumbleed thoughtfully. “Hmm... maybe that's why Fellby is always grumpy! No one ever gives him hugs!”

 

Parz looked doubtful as Suny continueed to cheer.

“That’s a great idea!” Sans smiled at Papyrus brightly. “Hugs make everything better. We should hug him tonight too.” 

 

Even Pyru nodded sagely and grins.

 

“We should get Swabby and Grillby to hug Fellby too,” added Papyrus. “I bet he’ll feel better after that.”

 

“Of course!” exclaimed Sans seriously. “Hugs make everything better, after all.”

  
“Yes! That HAS to be it!” Suny stated dramatically, letting out an excited squeal and begun jumping around once more, dragging Saz with him

 

“Okay, okay, Suny! Come on, stop!” pleaded Saz, trying to stop his younger brother. “I'll play with you but stop dragging me around!”

 

This at least prompted Suny to let go of him, turning to Papyrus. “Papyrus come play with us!” he cried out excitedly.  
  
Despite everything, Saz had to smile at his brother’s enthusiasm. He shifted into his other form, yipping at his brothers. 

Papyrus let go of Sans and ran over just as excited as Suny.

Soon the three skeletons were running around the room, mock wrestling with each other as Saz barks happily.

 

Parz ignored all of the commotion, frowning at Sans and Pyru. “I don't know if that... hugging thing will work,” he mumbled.

 

“Ah, I'm sure our bros make it work,” Sans stated, smiling. “They are great like that.”

 

“SANS!” cried out Papyrus, still chasing Saz around the room. “Come on, brother!”

 

“Welp,” giggled Sans. “I have no choice, do I?” He floped back down on a pillow and begun messing with Papyrus and Suny with his magic, earning cheers whenever he helped them and protest whenever he held them back and allowed Saz to escape. 

 

Parz and Pyru watched them for a bit; Pyru with an amused expression and Parz with a slight frown.

 

“Do you really think it won't work?” Pyru questioned after a moment of silence between them.

 

Parz sat down, half facing Pyru and rubbed at the crack in his skull over his left eye. “I don't know... it's just...” he pulled his knees up, hugging them to his chest. “Something about Fellby... feels familiar... sometimes.” He shook his head, not knowing how to explain.

 

“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Pyru curiously. “Familiar?” He crawled a bit closer but is careful not to touch him, knowing that Parz was a bit... difficult with the whole ‘physical affection’ thing.

 

“I don't know!” Parz thought hard on it for a moment. “He just... seems different. Like Grillby but... not...? I just... I just can tell, okay?” Parz mumbled, crossing his arms and sinking back a bit in the pillow he was sitting on.

 

“He... was pretty upset and weird yesterday,” Pyru agreed, deep in thought. He looked over to Parz. “Parz, do you think they are hurting? 

 

“What do you mean? Was he injured?”

 

“No,” Pyru replied, shaking his head. “But... upset. A bit like... when you and Saz have a fight after a bad... night... and you were sorry but couldn't say it? A bit like this... but not exactly... He was a lot... quieter... you know?”

 

Parz frowned at him with confusion. Fellby being quiet was strange! 

 

“What do you think we should do?” Pyru questioned, looking towards their other brothers.

 

Suny was still chasing around Saz, giving off a squeal whenever Sans would lift him with his magic.

Papyrus was half transformed at the moment. His bones seemed a bit thicker and he kept changing between running on two legs to four legs, his long tail was whipping around excitedly, whenever he came close to Saz who was still trying to evade them.

Sans was still keeping himself mostly out of the action, just using his magic to make sure the game stayed fair and nobody got hurt.

 

“UGH I wish they'd shut up,” Parz grumbled, laying down and rubbing his skull.

 

“I think it's cute,” stated Pyru, chuckling. 

Saz tackled Papyrus playfully before bolting in the other direction, Suny hot on his heels.

 

“We never got to... play like this before. Suny and me were always alone and... they took me a lot so he was all alone...” Pyru could feel Parz' eyes on him. “I'm happy we're here, you know?”

 

Parz remained silent.

 

“Uh... if... it's to loud for you, do you want to go into a hiding place?” Pyru questioned, pointing at one of them randomly. “I could do with a little quiet myself.”

 

Parz stood up and walked to the hiding place without answering, Pyru following close behind. 

 

This spot in particular  was a little space between a bookshelf the end table, separated from the ‘outside’ via a few spare bed sheets. The floor was made up of a few pillows with stuffed animals scattered amongst them.

Pyru remembered helping build this one... That had had a lot of fun with Swabby going over ideas of how to decorate the room.

 

Parz curled up on the pillows and Pyru flopped down next to him.

“Are you thinking of... before?” he asked. 

 

“Sometimes,” Parz mumbled softly. The pillows muffled the noise from the rest of the room and Parz looked a lot more relaxed. “I think Saz does too. We... we're not like the rest of you. I'm not like Saz... I can't be weak like him.”

 

“But... you don't have to be... all strong, you know,” mumbled Pyru, looking at his brother. “I promise I won’t tell anybody. But... you are not weak, okay? You are my brother. And the others are our brothers too. We are not weak, we are family and we stick together!”

 

“You sound like Swabby,” Parz stated dully.

 

Pyru giggled. “Do I?” he questioned with a smile. “Is that a bad thing? Swabby, he-“ Pyru stopped, looking away. “He helps me sometimes,” he muttered, curling in on himself a little. “When I have nightmares.”

 

“So it WAS Swabby you heard singing!” exclaimed Parz.

 

“Noooo!” protested Pyru, bouncing in his spot. “Swabby... can't really sing. He tries but he's not very good,” he explained. “No, it was Fellby. Fellby is blue, sleeps on the coach and sings.”

 

Parz was still looking skeptical. “I guess, but it doesn't really seem like him...” he pouted. “He has never sung for us...”

 

“Maybe you just didn't ask him? I'm sure he will. He loves you! He loves all of us!” replied Pyru smiling, though his expression quickly turned serious. “Do you think... he isn't allowed to be weak either? Like you and Saz?”

 

“He isn't weak!” Parz protested hotly. “He is strong and cool!”

 

“I know,” Pyru replied quickly. “But... it's like you said about... that you can't be weak. He tries hard to be strong but you can't ALWAYS be strong… Maybe he is like that too.”

 

“But... he isn't weak,” muttered Parz very quietly.

 

Pyru reached out and very slowly petted Parz on his back. “I know. He is pretty strong. And cool. And we’ll get him to sing tonight!”

 

Parz nodded lightly, not quite smiling but his frown clearing up, leaning a bit into the gentle touch.

 

Pyru took this as an invitation to snuggled up to Parz like a cat. He let out a long yawn and smiled lazily. “See? Everything will work out so don't worry... We’ll figure everything out together.” He loosely hugged Parz. “Love you, bro.”

 

Parz tensed for a moment before relaxing, looking away. “Maybe we can hide in here a bit... while they're all playing?” he mumbled.

 

“Okay. We are pretty good hidden so lets just stay like this,” Pyru agreed, amused.

Parz leaned a bit against him and, for the moment, everything was all right. Just lying there, listening to the muffled voices of their brothers playing.

 

 

Outside their little hideout, Papyrus had shifted completely and was laying half on top of both Sans and Saz, barking happily.

 

Suny jumped up and down around them, still in his humanoid form. “WE CAUGHT YOU! WE CAUGHT YOU!” he cheered.

 

Saz struggled a bit, before whining and shifting back to his humanoid form. “Yeah, yeah, you got us,” he mumbled, smiling tiredly.

 

Sans beside him just grinned, not even trying to get up. “Looks like it, huh?”

 

Papyrus shifted back too, releasing his brothers and sharing a high-five with Suny. “Now, now we have to show them MERCY too!” he stated, grinning at Suny. “It's the right thing to do after all!” He helped Saz and Sans up. “That's what Grillby always says.”

  
“Pap’s got it right,” agreed Sans, smiling brightly. “Sparing is the best option. Or not fighting at all.”

 

“Lets play some more!” exclaimed Suny as though not even hearing them and took hold of Sans and Saz again.

 

Sans promptly flopped down to the floor again. “Mercy!”

 

Saz, on the other hand, got dragged into more activities by his two overly hyper brothers.

 

 

Pyru was on the brink of sleep, smiling a bit at the sound of his brothers having fun, when Parz nudged him sharply in the ribs.

 

“Hey... don't fall asleep on me!” he huffed. 

 

Pyru yawned and blinked. “Okay, okay, I'm awake,” he mumbled, leaning a bit more against his brother, who allowed the notion with only a minimum of grumbling. “You are getting better at this,” Pyru commented, remembering the first weeks when Parz reacted with aggression to any sort of physical contact as soon as he was strong enough to move on his own.

 

Parz half-shoved him. “Shut it.”

 

“Nope,” Pyru replied, giggling. “It's good! It's a good thing. You look happy. And you sound like Fellby.”

 

“S-shut up!” Parz cried out, shoving against him again though not nearly with enough force to push Pyru away.

 

“Nyeh heh heh heh,” laughed Pyru. “Come on, bro. Aren't you happy?”

 

They heard some rustling and laugher from outside, Suny's and Papyrus' high giggles and Saz' slightly deeper laugh. 

 

“I'm... glad that we don't have to... hurt anymore,” Parz mumbled after a while, sighing deep. “Though I know some times I hurt him... and the others... I don't want to but... I do...”

 

“I know.” Pyru petted Parz slightly. “But you are getting better. You are sorry about it and get better the next time. That's all that's important.”

 

“I never even think about it though... Does that make me... evil... like in the stories?” Parz questioned, looking at Pyru. “I mean... I sometimes just... do things. I just get that I hurt somebody when you or Sans are telling me what I do... That... that is pretty evil, isn't it?”

 

“No!” exclaimed Pyru quickly, hugging the smaller skeleton to his chest tightly. “You are just... hurt. Like... like the hero who gets hurt and has to learn a lot so they can be better. Like... the story where that one guy lost his arm and he had to learn to live with one arm and then he made himself a cool metal arm. Like that. Not evil,” he closed his argument, nodding to himself.

 

“But the heroes never hurt people... I... I have... I've hurt Saz more times than I can count and...” He touched the crack running against his eye socket. “I just,” he mumbled, looking down and letting Pyru hug him.

 

“Saz forgave you, remember? It wasn't you, it was the... the bad man. He made you do it...” Pyru mumbled quietly. “And sometimes the bad guys make the heroes do bad stuff, remember? Like the story that Swabby told us where the heroes had to steal something to save their friend…”

 

“But _I_ did it and never even cared!” argued Parz. “Saz always said he didn't want to do it... but I just... did everything without thinking about it...”

 

“You didn't know better. The... bad guy was really bad. He did really bad things… And you are sorry now.”

 

“Y-yeah... you're right,” Parz mumbled, sighing deeply and snuggling into Pyru’s side. “The... bad guy... He would have let us die...” he whispered. “He... he left us to fall down.”

 

“Yeah,” Pyru breathed out, thinking about what he had seen and heard in his last days at the lab. Seeing Saz looking hopeless and so close to falling down, hearing how he was supposed to be a replacement. Knowing that he had brothers who he couldn't protect, who were hurting and broken and who almost didn't know how to be brothers anymore. “I'm really glad you are all okay,” Pyru stated. 

 

“Did... did bad things happen to you... and... the others too? Sans sometimes… he was hurt too... but you look strange sometimes too,” mumbled Parz, looking at Pyru. 

 

Pyru looked away, unwilling to met his brother’s eyes. “They... I think they did something to Sans and Papyrus. I... I think I got them to leave Suny alone. But...” he halted, going silent.

 

“Pyru? Are... are you okay?” Parz questioned, unsure of himself. 

 

“He hurt my soul,” whispered Pyru. “It hurt... very badly.” He hugs his knees to his chest and takes some deep breaths. He never told anybody this, not even Sans and they had talked about a lot of things.

 

Parz placed a hand hesitantly on his shoulder, but pulled back again quickly. It was just a helpless try to comfort without knowing how to do it but for Pyru it was enough. He snapped forward and hugged his brother, holding him close and trying very hard not to think about what happened to them. They got out, after all. The angel or whatever Sans had seen had rescued them and now they were a full family.

He felt Parz hesitantly wrapping his arms around him, very lightly and very shaky and to be honest, Parz wasn't very good in the whole hug-thing, but it was enough for Pyru. Enough to hold on to when he felt himself shaking.

 

“Parz?” he questioned, his voice very quiet and tense. “T...the guy... he... he can't come back... can he?” It was a recurring nightmare for him, especially prominent in the last few weeks. The bad guy finding them, taking them away again, making him watch while his brothers hurt each other and making him hurt his brothers. “I hate the nightmares,” he continued. “This... this guy... he did so many horrible things... To me, to you, to... to everybody and... and I'm scared,” he whispered. “He did so... so many bad things.” 

 

“Do you want to go see Grillby or Swabby?” asked Parz, knowing that this was the go-to-option for any nightmare-related freak-outs. 

 

“No... It's alright,” Pyru answered, taking several deep breaths, calming himself down like Swabby had taught him. Think about something here and now, take deep breaths. Everybody is here and well, the others are just outside playing, Grillby will keep them safe, and nobody can ever hurt them like this. 

 

“P... Pyru?” questioned Parz after a while, sounding almost as nervous as Pyru felt now. “I... uhm...” He moved a bit in the hug.

 

Pyru understood and released him. “Sorry.”

 

“No, it's... Okay. I um... am not very good at this...” mumbled Parz.

 

“It's alright,” Pyru said, smiling weakly, still taking deep breaths. “You're doing alright. Thank you.”

  
Parz looked at him a bit uncomfortable but accepts the notion.

 

They stayed like this in silence for a while, listening to their brothers. It sounded like Sans was now talking the most, while Saz could no longer be heard.

 

“I think Saz has fallen asleep again,” mumbled Pyru.

 

“Yeah... he is lazy like that...” Parz agreed.

 

“He looks tired all the time,” Pyru stated. “And sometimes I think he really doesn't want to sleep.”

 

Parz looked away with a sigh.

 

Pyru yawned himself, snuggling a bit deeper into the pillows on the ground.

 

Parz watched him and poked his skull. “Are you... going to sleep?”

 

“I am tired,” Pyru mumbled, yawning again. “And... we will try to get Fellby to sing tonight so we have to stay awake for that... but...” His words were broken by another yawn. “I just don't wanna have nightmares.”

 

“Did... did Fellby singing help you?”

 

“...yeah. Normally Swabby is the best...” mumbled Pyru. “But Fellby... I didn't have a nightmare after he sung... I really want to hear that again.”

 

“What if we all just told him we had a nightmare? He'd sung for you last night so maybe... he will do it again?” he questioned. “...IF you hadn't just dream that.”

 

“I didn't dream that!” protested Pyru. “But... but it could work,” he continued. “I mean, we all have nightmares sometimes...”

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Parz. “But... you... uh...” Parz looked a bit uncomfortable again. “But you look really tired so... you can sleep now. You should even! At least as long as the others are distracted... And I... uh... I am looking out for you so there are no nightmares…”

 

Pyru looked at him surprised but the expression quickly turned into a smile and he curled up beside Parz. The gesture was... nice. Something he did himself with Suny and Papyrus. As long as somebody was guarding them, nothing could get them. Not even nightmares. “Thank you,” he mumbled, yawning again. 

 

 

Outside of their little fort of solitude, Suny was looking  at the sleeping Saz, still pouting. They were having such a great time and now his brother was asleep again! Nevertheless, Sans told him not to wake him so they ended up moving him to some pillows and tucked him in, playing only quiet games now. 

Suny did not mind quiet games but it was so much more fun to play loud games! Loud was great, loud told him that his brothers were all around him and when they laughed it meant that everybody was happy! Silence told him nothing. 

It was silent at the bad place. Just him and Pyru… even Pyru went away for long stretches of time, coming back exhausted and hurt only to stay silent, trying to hard to not let him see but Suny SAW everything. He just had tried to be extra loud and happy for him to make up for the silence…

 

Come to think about it...

“Where did Pyru and Parz go?” asked Suny, looking around, only now noticing that two of his brothers were missing!

 

“Oh, they’re hiding,” answered Sans with a giggle. “Just leave them be. Parz looked a bit down and Pyru seemed tired.” 

 

“Oh... okay,” mumbled Suny, pouting even more. This was just like his brother, alright... always slacking! On the other hand... He was tired at the bad place, wasn't he? He often took Suny in his arms and would hug him, not letting go for a very long time… “Are they okay?” he asked a bit more subdued. 

 

“I think so. Don't worry,” Sans replied. “Just give them a bit space.”

 

Suny nodded. Sans usually knew what to do, so he trusted him. Sans had led them through all the places, knew where to get food, and had carried him and Papyrus sometimes through long runs in the night. Moreover, Sans was the one who found Grillby. Clearly, his eldest brother was very wise.

 

“I have found the puzzle!” exclaimed Papyrus, running up to them with a big puzzle box in his tiny hands.

 

Suny looked at it  skeptically. The picture on the box showed a pretty scene with many colors : Flowers, a little house and a rainbow. A number indicated that there were 500 pieces.

 

“That looks really cool, bro,” Sans stated, smiling. “Come, Suny... let Saz sleep for a bit and let's just do the puzzle, alright?”

 

Suny sighed deeply and flopped into Sans' lap, mumbling “Okay” while Papyrus opened the box and dumped all the pieces on the ground between them. It was not ALL bad, he supposed. The puzzle looked really nice and Sans was hugging him, leaning over his shoulder to look at the pieces himself.

 

Papyrus was busy scattering the puzzle pieces, frowning down at them. “I have tried this puzzle a few times already,” he informed them. “But it's so difficult! AND I can't get the pieces to go together.”

 

“Let me see, Bro,” said Sans, looking over the pieces himself. “How about we first sort them a bit? Everything that is a corner or part of the sides goes in one pile, the rest in another.”

 

“Okay? If you think that'll help…” mumbled Papyrus, starting to sort the pieces.

 

Suny felt himself reaching forward. Yeah, this was actually fun! “Oooh! This piece is yellow! It's pretty,” he exclaimed, placing the piece on the floor with a pile of yellow pieces. “Oooh! I like this one, too!” He held up a green piece. “Though this one is nice, too,” he added, picking up a red piece.

 

“That's all the pieces,” stated Papyrus, frowning. “Most of them are yellow, green and red!”

 

“I know!” giggled Suny. “I like all the colors!”

 

Sans chuckled at the antics of his little brothers. “Then let's see what we can make out of all of the pretty colors, huh?” 

 

T hey did not made much progress.  
Suny would try to match pieces together based on their color without much thought about there shape and Papyrus would try to force complete random pieces together. 

More than once did Sans intervene and guide them to whatever they needed at the moment. Not that he minded. It was pretty cool to spend some time with his little brothers and they both seemed to be having a lot of fun doing this.

 

“Sooo... How far along are we?” he questioned after a while, having just wrestled a very stubborn piece into its right place. 

 

“All the colors match up!” chirped Suny happily. “And we have... a bit of the outer part?”

 

“I just can't figure out how they go together,” mumbled Papyrus, glaring at two blue colored pieces in his hands. “They are the same color, they should go together!”

 

Sans chuckled and came over to him, looking at the small pile of blue pieces. “Look, you have to really look at the shapes. See?” he instructed, holding a piece up. “This here has a big hole and the part that should go in there on this piece is very small so it's not the right one. We need one with a big one.”

 

Papyrus listened intensely, looking at the pile and dived in with new gusto, searching for the right piece.

 

“How do you know all this?” questioned Suny with awe.

 

Sans already opened his mouth to tell him but stops himself. The answer was during a more harmless test, back before everything went bad, there were a few simple tests. Color and shape matching tests.

A gentle voice that praised when he was successful and gave advice when he failed. 

He often asked himself it the voice was even real. There was only ever the bad guy. No one else… so maybe the voice was just a dream. Maybe the tests were just a dream?

 

Instead of an answering, he gave a shrug of his shoulders and smiles. “I like shapes,” he answered. “They come in SPARES,” he added, giggling. 

 

“UGH!!! No puns, Sans!” protested Papyrus, which just made Sans giggle harder.

 

Little Sunny was giggling too.

This was perfect!

 

“But... but they’re so punny! Tibia honest, you could say they are humerous,” he continued, erupting in giggles again.

 

Papyrus screamed, throwing his hands in the air, while Suny rolled around, laughing.

 

“Were they that bad?” he asked, grinning at his brother.

 

“No puns!” declared Papyrus.

 

“I liked them!” chipped Suny.

 

“NO!”

 

“Awww but I wanna hear more,” Suny stated, grinning.

 

“SANS! STOP CORRUPTING OUT LITTLE BROTHER!”

 

Sans laughed and snatched up Papyrus, hugging the smaller skeleton tightly to himself. He then looked towards Suny, grinning brightly. “Look at that, Suny… Our own brother hates puns! How shall we ever live?” he questioned, striking a dramatic pose with Papyrus still struggling in his arms.

 

“It's very grave-ious to me!” answered Suny, giggling himself.

 

“UGH not you too!”

 

“What's up, bro? Can't stomach the puns?”

 

“But we have no stomach,” Suny stated, frowning.

 

“YES! Because we are skeletons!”

 

“SANS!! SUNY!!” shouted Papyrus, glaring at his brothers.

 

“Come on, Papyrus. Where's your funny bone?”

 

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Papyrus' scream echoed through the house.

 

 

 

 

After the children left the kitchen to play, Fellby watched as Grillby started putting on his coat after wrapping a scarf tightly around his neck. “Are you seriously going to work today?” he questioned annoyed, looking outside where it was already snowing. Swabby would not be able to leave to house anymore due to this weather and Fellby did not dare to venture outside any time soon. “The weather is shit and what if the guards come?”

 

“I have to, money is still something we need,” Grillby stated, finishing buttoning up his coat. “And should somebody come here instead of the bar, you could talk to them or fetch Swabby for them.”

 

Fellby felt a small pang of guilt at these  words. Shit, he felt kinda bad about blowing up at Swabby yesterday. Grillby could take punishment but Swabby... he hadn't deserved all of that. 

 

“I'll be back soon. Should everything else fail, you can send for me,” Grillby added gently. “Just keep an eye on the children.”

 

“Oh come on, Grills!” tried Fellby one last time. “I don't wanna be stuck here with the ninny!”

 

Grillby just turned around with a tiny smile on his mouth. “You'll manage,” he said softly. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

 

And he left before Fellby could say anything else.

 

In fact, Fellby needed a few seconds to register that Grillby just walked out of him.

Welp, there was nothing he could do now. He walked into the kitchen and sat down, watching Swabby do dishes. It was fascinating, in a way.

 

Swabb y wore one of Grillby's aprons, a black and white classic, and long yellow protection gloves. He did his task methodically, working through the stack of plates, cups and silverware. He even SMILED while doing it!

Long story short, Swabby was weird.

 

Fellby looked towards the window with a sigh, watching the gentle orange glow of Grillby's flame disappear in the distance. “Damn it,” he mumbled. 

 

Swabby did not turn around, continuing working on the dishes. “Everything alright?” he asked. “Grillby go to the bar?”

 

“Yeah,” he replied humbly, still looking out the window. It was kinda hard… just thinking about the whole thing yesterday. Geez, he practically cried into Grillby’s shoulder and... It was all so confusing! And conflicting! And a lot of things he really didn't want to think about! Nevertheless, that was the problem. He thought about Grillby and the issues he had with him and things got so confusing and muddled that he just didn’t want to think about it anymore.

The  only other option was Swabby and, well, he wasn't as much of a ball of issues at the beginning but after a year? This was a fucking tiny little yellow flame! What was this idiot even DOING in Snowdin?!? He could literally die from something stupid like a snowstorm or a bad gust of wind if he didn't have magical protection on! Yet it was he who had hurt him...

Swabby never feared him, even riled him up and seemed to enjoy arguing with him even if he more often than not ended things with blackmailing… he was always laughing, no matter how bad some days were. 

Yet he had snapped at him and hurt him… He could have dusted the guy if Grillby wasn't there…

 

Stars above , he wasn’t even sure if he had a conscience anymore! Why did he feel so fucking bad about this? It was Swabby’s own damn fault! 

Yet it did not matter what he told himself, the bad feeling stayed and festered within him.

  
Fellby sighed, looking out the window again; half-wishing Grillby was still here, even if his musings about the other flame would not bring him a peace of mind either. 

 

He was pulled out of his thoughs when he notices that Swabby just finished washing the dishes.

He placed down the last plate next to the sink to dry and turned around, sitting down opposite to Fellby on the kitchen table. “Hey... not calling me an idiot for ten minutes? That's not like you,” he stated, a small grin on his face. “What's on your mind?”

 

A whole fucking ball of issues and problems from which he was running away from all the fucking time. Welp, he couldn't say THAT to him, of course. Fellby looked at Swabby, to the yellow flames that seem to flicker so friendly. “Look, I –“ he begun but was interrupted by a loud cheer coming from above, causing both himself and Swabby to took to the ceiling. “Sounds like they're happy,” he grumbled, shaking his head. The thought he just had passed. “I need more coffee.”

 

Swabby stood and walked to the coffee maker, chuckling all the way. “Sounds like it, huh?” he said softly while searching for two cups they could use. “I'm so glad... It's a far cry from last year, don’t you think?”

 

“Yeah,” Fellby mumbled, thinking back to when he first arrived here. Those kids were bad off. The two largest were paranoid and hostile towards anybody other than Grillby and the other kids, whereas the two smallest were playful but scared especially so of Fellby himself… the last two were on the edge of falling down. 

They made him break his promise of never using his healing magic again. They were bad off but, somehow, Fellby felt he couldn't let them down.  _They knew what it felt like to be trapped, helpless in the face of pain and humiliation, to be forced to do things you never wanted to do, to lose all hope yet manage to get away, not feeling like this was the best course of action._

It wa s a small miracle that they were so well off now… Able to laugh and have fun. Enjoy birthdays and... well, with Grillby, they were sure to have a great life. 

 

There was suddenly coffee in front of him and Swabby across the table. Fellby did not question this, just took hold of his cup and sighed happily. 

 

“At least they are happy now, huh?” Swabby said, looking at him.

 

Urgh, he had almost forgotten they were in some sort of conversation now. He took a long gulp from his cup; damn, Swabby could make some really good coffee!

Yeah of course it was good knowing that the kids were alright. Especially after the tapes... stars, what sick bastard did something like that? The humans had been horrible but monsters were supposed to be better than that… Monsters are made up of kindness, hope, compassion and all that shit!

 

A shiver ran through his flames as bits and pieces resurface for a split-second. The burn of water, the look in the eyes of the human he dubbed Red, the horrible pain in his core and emerald eyes… The first EXP he acquired, feeling magic so similar to his own… sadness, fear, pain and hope that seemed to blend and mix together into a single emotion an ebb away into nothingness… Killing him was MERCY but the EXP lays so heavy on his soul. 

 

Shit, he hadn't thought about that in... in a very long time. All this family crap just... drug everything back up. 

 

Yet there  Swabby was, still looking at him.

 

Fellby took another sip of his coffee, enjoying the taste. “I can't say I blame them for being... a bit loud...” he mumbled, sighing. Swabby was still smiling at him causing the guilty feeling to resurface and shit, shit, he really felt bad. “Look about last night...” he started before trailing off, searching for the right words. Hell, he searched for an entire concept. Was he sorry? Was he not sorry? Please forget everything you saw and heard?

 

Swabby shook his head. “Hey... I'm not...” he took a deep breath, looking back to Fellby. “If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to,” he stated, looking nervous himself. “But... I really want to know about... stuff like this. You and Grillby don't have to withhold things from me, okay… About the kids… or you.”

 

“You didn't see those tapes,” Fellby muttered out, adverting his eyes. It was for the best. Nobody like Swabby should see this heavy shit. “But that isn't it... you...” Fellby glanceds back to Swabby, at the flickering yellow flames, remembering how they flickered against his hands, how tense the body underneath became. “I didn't hurt ya, did I?” he questioned, trying and failing to sound uncaring about the whole thing.

 

Swabby looked at him a bit surprised.

 

Geez, did he really gave off this much of an an unfazed attitude? God, he felt WORSE about everything now! 

 

“Oh no,” smiled Swabby, waving his hand. “No... you just... Uh... Grillby was between us before you could do anything and Grillby... yeah...” he trailed of and Fellby gave him a single nod.

 

Neither of them knew Grillby's actual LOVE but they knew it was high. He was ridiculously strong and being surrounded by the snow and ice did not seem to faze him in the least.

 

“You sure?” Fellby mumbled. “I mean, I was really... well drunk and...”

 

“You could have but you didn't,” interrupted Swabby. “That's what’s important.” He looked Fellby in the eyes. “I'm not afraid of you,” he stated firmly.

Damn. He had said this... what, a million times alr eady? But still, it was strange hearing it.

“So, what about the tapes?” he asked. “You and Grillby were very... uh... vague? I mean, what you said sounded bad but...”

 

Aw, fuck, he kinda hoped that Swabby had forgotten about those things. “They were horrible,” he grumbled, taking another swig from his coffee as if it was whiskey. He could almost feel the burn of the alcohol from yesterday... and yeah, that had been a bad idea. “And there are thousands of them, one of each time that bastard did something to them.”

 

“So many?” questioned Swabby quietly. “What did they do to them? Please tell me.”

 

“Horrible things,” Fellby answered vaguely, staring into his coffee. 

 

“Fellby,” Swabby pleaded. ”Please. You don't have to go through to all details, but... I want to know what we are dealing with here. Some of the children come to me in the middle of the night and I have no idea what to do or say because I have no idea what they are actually going through. I just want to know what happened to them… Please.”

 

“Shit, Swabby, _**I**_ thought they were horrible! Do you realize how fucked up that is?” he shouted before taking a deep breath and shaking his head again. “But damn if ya wanna know... he tried to get them to attack each other. Parz did. Sans refused.”

 

“ _Do what you are told, you worthless monster!”_

Not the time for this bullshit, brain.

 

“I didn't see anything about Pyru or Suny... there weren't that many tapes with Pyru's name and I don't think there were any that had Suny on them... but from what I saw, the bastard kept them in groups : Sans with Papyrus and Saz with Parz so maybe Suny was with Pyru the whole time...”

 

“That makes sense,” Swabby agreed softly. “They do seem to share a stronger bond with one another than the others at times but... making them fight each other?” He shook his head, his eyes going wide. “Wait... Pyru said that they forced him to... to watch tapes about Saz and Parz…”

 

“Yeah, one of the tapes there showed him being held to a chair and forced to watch,” Fellby stated, the thought of the chairs alone made him shudder again. “The guy said he'd hurt Suny, I guess... he kept calling them by some code. Grills said that they all had numbers on them somewhere, but I... I haven't seen them.” He shook his head, trying to clear his own thoughts. He could almost hear the voice again…

 

_Get on your feet, monster! Heal them! Heal them or be punished_ _. Stay quiet, I don’t want to hear another peep out of you!_

 

Shit, he went half-crazy during that time… these kids had this shit all their lives!

His knuckles begun to hurt and he glances down, only then realizing he punched the table in his anger. “Damn it all,” he hissed harshly. 

 

Swabby was silent for a second and Fellby was thankful because, really, this was getting annoying. Years of telling himself that he was over all this shit and now it was all over him and shit, he wasn’t sure what to do about any of it.

 

“Pyru and Suny have theirs on their legs,” Swabby mumbled.

 

For a moment Fellby was confused about what he was talking about until it hit him. The markings. Shit, really? What sick bastard did such things?

 

“On the upper part of the femur,” continued Swabby. “They hide it. I don't know where the others have their numbers... I only know because I helped them bathe a few times.”

 

Wait, when did Swabby ever bathe them? He was a yellow flame, that was way to dangerous! Fuck, surely during the first few months. The times when Grillby looked like he would just... fall over. Ugh, he felt even worse now.

 

“But... it is the truth then? They made him watch whatever happened to Parz and Saz?” asked Swabby.

 

Fellby just nodded.

 

“Why?” he questioned. “Did... was there any reasons why?”

 

“In every video, the guy kept saying ‘experiment’,” Fellby mumbled. “Shit I think he just got enjoyment out of it. He... kept smiling and there was this one tape where it started off okay but then he did a fucked-up thing and SMILED about it and...” Fellby shook his head, shaking away the laughter he heard within his mind. “Swabby, this bastard is as sick as they come.”

 

Swabby shuttered at his words. “That sounds messed up,” he whispered, looking down at his own hand, the yellow flames flickering and glowing a bit stronger. “How could a monster be that cruel?”

 

Fellby had been asking himself that same question since leaving the lab. He knew humans could be fucking terrible but another monster? What ever happened with ‘made out of love and compassion’? Where the fuck was the compassion with this bastard?

 

“Do you think King Asgore knew about it?” questioned Swabby.

 

King Asgore... somehow in all the mess, Fellby had completely forgotten about him. The rooms were just a small part of the larger laboratory that was used by the Royal Scientist! 

 

“It was happening at the Core,” he growled out, angrily. He felt his flames getting higher, though not changing in color. The fucking Core, the lab of the Royal Scientist... how could Asgore NOT know about this shit?

On the o ther hand... Asgore was one of the nicest monsters in the Underground. The King had even shown him kindness more times than he could count whenever he managed to get into trouble back at the capitol… He wouldn't ever let something like this happen. It wasn’t in his nature.

 

But what if?

 

“Shit,” he cursed. “They were in the fucking Core! There are... hundreds of monsters there every single day and NOBODY noticed SOMETHING?”

 

“Yeah,” Swabby sighed out sadly, looking down. “Did... did they arrest the guy?”

 

“No, they don't have him... not yet,” Fellby stated, feeling helpless in the matter. “The guy's name is Gaster and he… fuck,” he trailed off, trying to think of a way of describing Gaster. He found that it was impossible to remember him clearly. How... strange. Was it because of his flashback? He rubbed at his temples. “The guy was in the videos but I... I can't remember,” he continued, taken aback. How could he forget someone who hurt those kids that much in such a short time? He felt disgusted at himself.

 

“Yeah... that uh... that was something I wanted to ask you,” said Swabby. “You don't have to answer me but... it's important. What... what part of the tapes triggered you?” he questioned. “You don't have to tell me what memory you returned to but it would be good if we knew what kind of things we shouldn't do around here… around you.”

 

“Honestly?” he begun, looking at Swabby. “I have no fucking clue. That... that hasn't happened in a very long time.” He drank from the coffee again before continuing, “At least I don't think so...” Because, really, that was the truth. He had lived alone for quite some time and had not cared about anything during that time. If he were being honest with himself, his flashback scared him. No, not scare… it was damn right terrifying. 

 

Swabby made a soft hum. “Just... if you are noticing something, can you tell us? I am serious with wanting to help you… even if it's just making sure you're okay.”

 

Fellby looked to Swabby and... yeah this... this was still the ninny that claimed not to be afraid of him and wanted to help... everybody. Nothing really changed… and that was okay. “I'm not going to break, ya big baby,” he stated, grinning a bit.

 

“I know,” he replied with an almost catlike grin. “There you are again,” he chuckled softly but quickly became serious again. “But really, can you please TALK to us if something is on your mind? If not to me then with Grillby?”

 

“What's with you two all of the sudden?” Fellby questioned, frowning. These two were suddenly all over the ‘Let's talk about shit’ and ‘I care’ stuff... 

 

“What do you mean ‘All of the sudden’? I’ve always cared about you,” stated Swabby, his yellow flames glowing brightly. “You just never let anybody in this house do something.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why do you think I still invited you to MY family reunions? I didn't think you were as bad as the rumors say. Moreover, after getting to know you better? Of course I care. Grillby is the same. He just... wasn't around family and stuff for a long time… But he wouldn't have let you stay if he didn't like you.”

 

“I...” Fellby began, though has to pause, thinking about... everything. Grillby especially. About the first day he came here. “He asked me why I even bothered showing up here...” he mumbled, shaking his head, frustrated with himself, and, to an extension, with Swabby. “Ack, quit getting me off track!” His voice was raised but not quite shouting “YOUR family reunions would still be theirs you idiot.”

 

Swabby sighed deeply. “I know. Still, if I invite you, you are MY guest. If they have a problem with that, I would have make them leave,” he explained logically. “Why DID you show up here?” he asked in afterthought. “I mean, even if Grillby asked for your help, you didn't have to come.”

 

Fellby stared at him and Swabby stared back, a smile beginning to grow on his face as if he already knew the reason. The reason Fellby really, really did not want to think about.

 

“I just... needed a place to hang low for a bit. I got into a lot of trouble in the city,” Fellby begun to explain.

 

“We both know that this is the reason you justify everything with. You would have had a LOT of other options yet you came to Grillby. And you stayed and came back… several times.”

 

“I only came here because I got his text!” he argued back.

 

Swabby giggled. “Whatever lets you sleep tonight. I'm glad you are here.” 

 

And damn, this was the reason Fellby didn't like to think about... shit like this. Whenever Swabby said something like that, his core felt all… weird. “You're too cheerful,” he grumbled. 

 

“And you are a grumpy grump but I still like you,” replied Swabby, still smiling.

 

Again there was that weird feeling around his core. Damn Swabby, damn him to... to anywhere, somewhere far away from him! He almost missed the fact that Swabby was looking at him seriously again.

 

“Have the guards said anything about how things will go the next few days?” he finally asked. 

 

“Not to me,” Fellby shrugged. “Don't think they really trust me...”

Ha! ‘Don't really trust’ him? They trusted him about as far as they could throw him and considering that he wouldn't let them touch him, it wasn't anything at all. The list of petty crimes he committed was rather long, as well as the list of crimes he did not commit but was the suspect for anyway… Besides, the distrust was more than mutual.

 

“Well, you kind of have a track record,” Swabby mumbled.

 

Of course Swabby knew about his tra ck record, the damned blackmailer.

 

“I just want them to find this person and take him away. I... I’m really uncomfortable knowing that whoever hurt the children is still out there.”

 

Fellby nodded in agreement. He was more than ‘uncomfortable’ with the thought himself.

_He could hurt them again. He could c_ _ome and take them just like the humans took me. He will drag them down into the dark... Darkness all around, blue flames to dim to see anything._

The glow of Swabby’s flames dragged Fellby from his thoughts; the darkness chased away by bright yellow magic. Swabby must feel pretty strongly about the matter. Fellby watched the other monster’s flames flicker for a while in silence. It was... nice. Bright and yellow. It really suited Swabby and… it kept darkness away.

 

“Uh...” Swabby was looking at him, his flames having since returned back to normal, a more subdued yellow, yet still shined brightly. “Is everything alright?” he asked awkwardly, a tint of green flickering over his face. 

 

“Hm? Oh yeah… Just thinking about something,” Fellby mumbled, still holding the yellow against the darkness of his memories.

 

“About what?”

 

About what happened to him. How he always had fantasized about somebody saving him, about the flame soldier who was the only monster the humans ever spoke of in real fear… How he wished this soldier would find him… How crushed he was when nobody came. About how he projected the soldier image on Grillby and that felt good and bad at the same time. Good because he finally had a face to blame everything on, his frustrations and the feeling of betrayed. Bad because he knew deep down that it was unfair, Grillby couldn't have known and that he wasn't at fault, his cousin really was kind hearted. 

About how strange it felt to hear that both Grillby and Swabby cared for him. About how strange it was to know that the children loved him. About how strange it was to be in a place where people actually wanted him around and regarded him as a person, not just some criminal from the capitol. About how much he wanted this yet at the same time feared it.

About how there was much about Swabby he just did not understand. His friendliness, his forgiveness… How he could even stand being here in Snowdin knowing that every step he took outside was a risk for his health or worse his life. About the flickering yellow that was natural on him and would most likely never burn any hotter. About how the elemental across from him was so fragile in comparison with himself. 

 

“You, Grillby and the others,” he answered finally, pausing a moment as though trying to find his own thoughts.

 

Swabby waited patiently for him to say something, looking at him curiously.

 

Fellby did not even know where his thoughts were wandering at the moment himself. His gaze settled on the flickering flames of Swabby’s arm. “All of you... your fires...” he begun, making a hand gesture towards Swabby. “You burn so lowly. Even Grills' fire is hotter than yours and the others but...” He raised his own hand, looking at the blue flames. “Mine has always burned like this.” He lowered his hand once more, glancing towards Swabby again. “But...” he closed his eyes, rubbing his temples.

 

_Quit struggling_ _. Heal them! Oh, do you not want to? A little hothead, aren't ya? Maybe we should cool you down a bit._

 

Drip.

 

Drip.

 

Drip.

 

Shivering against the cold and a darkness even his own light could not illuminate.

 

Drip.

 

Drip.

 

Drip.

 

He forced his eyes open and noticed that Swabby was still looking at him, a mix of worry and confusion written clearing on his face.

 

“Hey,” he mumbled, voice almost too soft to hear. “Your fire is fine as it is... isn’t it?”

 

“I...” Fellby shook his head. “It's normal for you but... I hated it,” he stated, his voice becoming inaudible. His mind still struggling to stay in the present, to stay here.

 

“Hate?” Swabby questioned, blinking at him.

 

A part of Fellby was thankful for the distraction, for Swabby’s voice to ground him in the here and now but, on the other hand, he dreaded it because it brought questioned.

 

“Why do you hate your fire color?”

 

“It's not that,” he replied. “I was just thinking... is all...”

 

“About what?” asked Swabby very confused. “That mine and Grillby’s fire spectrum is colder? It doesn't really matter, does it?”

 

“But... aren't you cold?” he questioned suddenly. He remembered. _Cold water being forced into his mouth, being forced to swallow the burning cold acid. Laying on the ground surrounded by coldness._

_Help me. Kill me. Please mercy!_

_Watching as his flames changed from blue to red to orange then green… and finally yellow, barely there. Unable to speak, barely able to breath. Everything hurt and was so cold. Worst of all, he couldn't even scream. Pleading in his mind for a god, an angel, for anyone to show him mercy and just let him die… Hoping for the Flame Soldier to come and rescue him…_

A flicker of light pulled him back. Right. Bright yellow, not the same dim, barely alive he was.

 

Swabby looked thoughtful. “I don't like being in the cold for long.” 

 

Stupid idiot could DIE from being in th e cold for to long. Fellby knew; he saw his HP fall a few times when he was outside for extended periods.

 

“But for the most part? No. I'm normally not cold... Why? Do I seem cold?” 

 

A part of Fellby wanted to laugh. Swabby had no fucking idea. He had no idea how it felt and would most likely never have any clue. He was just a simple, yellow flame. He burned so cold that if he lost only a tenth of heat like Fellby himself had, he would die before truly feeling how terrible the cold was. Swabby would never have any idea how COLD really felt.

 

“Well... you're fire, so that was a stupid question,” Fellby mumbled.

 

Swabby gave a small chuckle. “A little, huh? But... what about me being cold?”

 

“It's... nothing. Like I said, it's stupid.”

 

“It had to be something, otherwise you wouldn't have started talking about it,” stated Swabby.

And damn him and his stupid friendliness. How did this guy survive? Yes, monsters are made out of love and compassion but not all of them are NICE. Fellby had seen on the tapes that even among monsters there were some that were as cruel as any human was. Grillby, he could understand a bit. Grillby could afford to be kind and friendly. He was freakishly strong! However, Swabby? Out here, anything on the outside could kill him!

 

“Shut up,” he growls, his voice not as solid as he would have liked it to be in that moment. He shook his head lightly.

 

“Fellby...”

 

Urgh! H e just couldn't let go, could he?

 

“Okay, fine,” growled Fellby, taking a deep breath. “Let's change the question. What's the hottest you ever burned? What made you get that way?”

 

“Uh... my hottest?” Swabby asked, thinking about it for a moment. “After... Pyru told me about the tapes...” he begun, voice carefully controlled. “I... couldn’t go back to sleep and I... burned pretty hard. I think it was... very bright? A bright green perhaps? I felt... ugh... desire to see this... person put away for hurting them, for them to get their justice. That and I was angry… Very angry...”

 

Oh stars... a bright green? That was barely halfway between yellow and orange. And that was his hottest?!? This was unbelievable… Shit, this guy was unbelievable!

“Just green?” Fellby questioned, a chuckle forcing itself out of him. “Wow, you're more of a ninny than I thought!”

 

Swabby gave a shrug of his shoulders.

 

“Okay then,” Fellby continued, getting a bit more serious. “What's the lowest you ever burned?”

 

That seemed to confuse Swabby a bit.

“I don't get much lower than what I already am,” he stated. “I can go a bit... less? So it is still yellow but less of me? It doesn't happen often.” 

 

“And what is the lowest you ever seen the other flames go?” Fellby continued the questions. “Say... reddish orange ones like Grillby.” 

 

Swabby thought about the question for a long moment, uncomfortable. “Some of them turn really light orange but most of them turn yellow... and lower than that...” he almost whispered.

 

Fellby was a bit surprised about that. He would ha ve guessed that Swabby had maybe seen green or light orange but lower than yellow? He... really did not know much about Swabby's life before he met him, come to think about it…

 

“I think Grillby turned white one time when he got really sick during one of the family reunions. He... didn't came back for a long time,” Swabby continued thoughtfully.

 

That got Fellby’s attention.  “R eally?” he asked, thinking about that for a moment. What could Grillby have seen that would have caused him react in such a way? He was in the war, he fought against humans... Could his cousin have had experiences with water too?

 

“Yeah... it was a bit of a... big thing back then,” Swabby mumbled, sighing deeply. “But... what about cooling down?”

 

“When you cool down it feels... cold. God I hate it here,” Fellby stated, glaring at the snow outside through the window.

 

“You mean Snowdin? Do you get cold easily?” Swabby questioned. “I thought... well, Grillby burns hotter than me... and he likes the cold here... I thought maybe you would like the cold as well…”

 

Of course Grillby would like the cold. He said it himself, didn't he?

 

“Yes, I mean Snowdin,” snapped Fellby. “And no, I don't get cold easily.” He took a deep breath, eyes still focused on the window. “I just... don't understand him... Why can't he just be normal and live in Hotland?”

 

“He likes it here because not many of us are here,” Swabby answered, drawing Fellby’s attention back to him. Swabby looked thoughtful, gazing out of the window himself. “I think he felt crowded after the war and wanted some space. That and... have you ever checked his LOVE? Or asked him?”

 

He never had. Grillby said his LOVE was high, but how high could it possibly be?

 

“Do you remember yesterday? You... you hit him pretty hard and it barely did anything to him. I mean... I think he feels... safe here.”

 

“I know he killed a lot of humans,” mumbled Fellby. Who didn't know? “So it has to be pretty high... I uh... can't really sense it though,” he confessed, letting out a soft sigh. He could sense HP but not LOVE. “But... aren't you afraid to be here? It wouldn't take much to kill you and we're surrounded by snow and ice. That doesn't bother you at all?” Fellby questioned, pointing at the frost covered window for emphasis. 

 

“Well, I know it's dangerous,” stated Swabby seriously. “I'm staying mostly inside because of it.” He shrugged and smiled softly. “And yes, I'm afraid sometimes. However, I still like it here. I love the children. I love spending time here,” he admits, his voice gentle and his smile becoming wider. “And if I'm in trouble, I'm sure you and Grillby would find a way to help me.”

 

Stars, he really was to trusting for his own good.

 

Fellby snorted. “And let your blackmail rampage continue? Unlikely,” he stated with a smirk while holding the coffee mug out to Swabby. “Better be useful and fill me up so I will have more reasons to rescue you.”

 

Swabby giggled at that. “I sure hope that there are more reasons for you to rescue me,” he said while refilling the cup. “And I only blackmail you when it’s for your own good,” he added grinning. “But really, I'm not really afraid. Why did you ask in the first place?” His grin turned devious. “Are you worried about me?”

 

And shit. Fuck no. No, he was not getting attached to the idiot, he was not getting attached to the children and this stupid routine... 

 

Oh, who was he kidding? He got attached! And the worst part was : Swabby knew it. He knew it. He... Shit.

 

They sat together in silence for what felt like an eternity, Fellby unwilling to look at Swabby and Swabby just drinking his coffee, taking his lack of response as the answer. 

 

The thing was, he had really begun to care about this whole family bullshit. He cared for the kids… otherwise it wouldn't really matter, otherwise he wouldn't be here. And he cared about Swabby and Grillby too, otherwise he... wouldn't be sitting here in the kitchen... He wouldn't still be feeling horrible over what happened the day before.

 

He liked them. He trusted them.  
  
And it scared him.

 

“You want to know about those kids so badly? And about... my past?” Fellby asked, breaking the silence which had taken over the room. “It's... it's not pretty.”

 

“Yes,” answered Swabby, his voice solid and his eyes full of resolve. “I want to know... and understand. So I can at least try to help.”

 

Fellby took a deep breath. Of course he wanted to help. Swabby was just... made like that. “What would you say if I told you that once I became your color?” Fellby questioned. His eyes were on Swabby but he seemed to be looking past him. 

 

“What? But...you're blue!” exclaimed Swabby in alarm. “You burn so hot... How could you ever get so low?” he whispered, looking at him with fear.

 

And Fellby understood. For flames such as reds to turn yellow, it would take some damage and major trauma. For a blue like Fellby? A lot more. “It was... a long time ago... back when the war first began,” Fellby begun his tale. “That's what my… freak out last night was about... a memory I had long since buried... or so I thought,” he mumbled, shoving the memory of said memory from his mind.

 

_The_ _constant dripping of water. Water on the ground all around him. Water on his arms and legs and back… Something cold against his mouth and burning coldness that ate its way through him, taking away his heat, bringing him down, down, down..._

 

“Will you tell me?” Swabby whispered, not even daring to breathe too loudly, yet still managing to bring him back from the dark crevices of his mind. “What happened?”

 

Fellby took a swig of coffee, looking towards the ceiling. “I was captured... near the beginning of the war I think,” he continued. “There was fighting but I don't think it fully escalated to war yet... I was stupid. I did something stupid and was captured for it,” He lowered his head, looking at the dark drink in his hands.

 

Yeah, it was stupid. He was just as trusting as Swabby back then, huh? Just... heal the human, speak with them a bit and suddenly they were friends? Ha, good joke.  _Something stupid_ was a good one. He single-handily brought on the destruction of his village; all because he didn't listen to the most basic advise ever.  _Stay away from humans._ Couldn't do anything right, even back then, huh? It is a bit funny that the family branded him as a black sheep for far less then that…

“I wanted so very much to die then,” he continued. “The humans... found enjoyment out of-“ he went silent, eyes closing against the words only he could hear. The laughter and the sound of water. He shivered against a wave of coldness that grabbed hold of his body.

 

“They hurt you, badly... didn't they?” Swabby asked but Fellby barely heard his voice over the memories of the humans’ laughter. “I'm so sorry.”

 

“Whenever I wouldn't listen to them or...” _Or they were bored, or angry, or just wanted to see what would happen if they did THAT to him..._ he shook his head, pushing all thoughts aside. “They would let water drip to my flames. Drip... drip... I heard that sound continuously.” He let out another sigh. “I started to become... used to the pain. I wouldn't scream as loudly as they wanted or...” he trailed off again, shaking his head roughly. “So they added more. I numbed myself to it while they laughed and joked. One in particular... seemed to see this as a challenge. Then one day...” Fellby glanced to Swabby who looked absolutely horrified. Well, he asked for it. “I guess I really pissed him off. I couldn't do what he commanded of me...” his hands tightened around the cup, in his mind he could still see him, hear him. “He thought I was being 'difficult' so... so he had the others hold me down as he physically beat me over and over.” His flames flicker from the memory. Under their flames, they still were solid; they still had a core and dense flames held together by magic and the sheer energy of their souls. It had not hurt like water but it was still painful.

 

There was a gentle touch at his shoulder. Swabby had reached out and grabbed hold of his left shoulder, looking close to tears. This... this crybaby! 

 

“You heard enough or you want me to continue?”

 

“Only if you want to,” whispered Swabby. “It could be good for you, talking about it... but you don't have to if it's too painful.” 

 

“Fuck, reliving it was painful,” Fellby mumbled to himself. “No, you want it? You’ll get it 'til the bitter end. Where was I?” he thought for a moment. “Oh yeah… the beatings. They weren't so bad. Fucking hurt like hell, but nothing like... well...” he took a small drink of coffee again, trying to calm his mind. No more stalling. This is it. “Guess he didn't get enough pleasure out of it. Or maybe they had wanted to do it for a while and just didn't have strong enough reason to... or could have been that they just wanted to see what would happen,” he mused. 

 

Swabby’s hand didn’t leave him and it was strangely comforting.

 

Fellby took a shaky breath. Time to dive. “Some men brought... a bottle,” he began. “Maybe this...” he made a motion with his hands, forming the size of a 2 liter bottle. “…big, full of water. I was terrified, fuck I was just a kid at the time, of course that much water...” his hands fell to the table, closing into fists. “But no, they didn't had plans to snuff me.” Fellby stopped for a second, looking Swabby over. His cousin looked horrified. “Do you know what water taste like?” he questioned finally, his voice is low and serious, his eyes never leaving Swabby’s face.

 

“N... no... no, they didn't... they...” Swabby stammered over his words. “They... how did... how did you survive?”

 

“Yeah they forced me to drink the entire thing,” he answered, letting out a sort of half-chuckle half-snort that sounded emptier than anything else. “My core instantly cooled to about your color. I... I was freezing.” _It hurt; it hurt so much! Coldness and the feeling of his flame dying down… The fear and the horrible pain._ “I didn't even know we were able to freeze,” he stated, chuckling a bit while shaking his head. “It was god awful but at the time... I wanted nothing more than to turn to dust. I just... I couldn't.” _Please, just end this. Somebody kill me, please SOMEBODY give me MERCY!_

 

There was a long silence, Fellby wrestling with his memories, Swabby still looking at him. The hand on his shoulder felt warm. How strange, it should feel a bit cold, with the differences in how hot they burned.

 

“My body felt the effects for weeks,” he continued after a while. “I think so anyways. I never could keep track of time especially after that. I was out of it for a good deal, thankfully. I didn't think my core would ever heat back up...”

 

“Oh my stars,” whispered Swabby in disbelief. “That... that’s horrible... awful.”

 

Fellby could feel his flames flicker.

 

“I am so glad you burn blue.”

 

Yeah... any colder flame would surely have died. Fellby did not know it he was lucky to burn blue or not...

 

“It was after that, that I overheard them speaking about Grillby,” he continued, staring at his coffee. “Though, at the time, I didn't know it was him. Fuck, I thought...” he stopped, shaking his head. What the hell was he even doing? “It doesn't matter.”

 

“You must have thought he was looking for you, weren't you?” asked Swabby

 

Fuck, why was this guy so good at figuring stuff out? Yeah, he had thought about it, dreamed about it. He had built his own little fantasy world in the depths of his mind whenever they did something to him, so that he had a place to flee from the horrible nightmare, if only for a few moments...

 

The sound of a chair moving across the floor and the feeling of warm arms around his body pulled him back. Swabby was hugging him and the strange part was, he was letting him.

 

“It's an awful thing, to lose hope,” mumbled Swabby.

 

“Actually... that thought... filled me with it. Hope,” Fellby replied. His eyes were locked on a wrinkle in the fabric of Swabby’s shirt. “Perhaps that was the only thing that kept me burning for all those months. I... I never told Grillby about this,” he mumbled. “I never told... anyone...” Why should he? There was nobody there to tell the tale to and now... no. No, why was he even talking about this?!? This was stupid and... 

 

… And Swabby was hugging him harder and it felt good. 

 

“Does anyone else know?” questioned Swabby. “About... what happened to you?”

 

“They killed everyone in my village when they captured me. The humans attacked us in the middle of the night. Before then there were some minor battles but the war had not broke out yet. When I escaped...” He paused, putting his hand on the arm that was still wrapped around him. He felt himself shaking a tiny bit. “When I finally escaped them, the war was already over. I don't know how long I was with them… People say the war lasted over a year but I...” he shook his head once more, pulling Swabby's arm down, away from his chest, breaking the hug. “You were young then, just a kid,” he mumbled before looking at Swabby’s face. “Do you even remember the sky? The sun? There are plenty of monsters here who were born after the barrier went up...”

 

“I remember, a bit,” Swabby answered, looking down and away from him. “I grew up in the sanctuary, ironically near... well... here.”

 

The sanctuary... Fellby remembered monsters talking about it from time to time. A tiny hidden village where monsters came in order to flee from the war. By the time Fellby came to Ebott, it was already gone.

 

“I don't remember much, but there were a lot of monsters,” Swabby continued, sounding as if he was far away. “Children who lost their parents and older once who lost... everything else. I don't remember the sky very well but I remember seeing monsters lose hope, falling down and disappearing... good, strong monsters who had experienced less than you. I don't remember when we moved, it was almost the same here as there. Monster loosing hope and falling down.” He looked up at Fellby, concern at his face.

 

“I'm not that weak, yet,” Fellby muttered, laying his head back against Swabby's shoulder. “But sometimes it feels as though I left one prison just to be placed in another.”

 

“Yeah,” Swabby sighed out, his hand moving against Fellby’s back, gently petting. “But it's not so bad here. We have each other, we have the children. And we will get out of here one day. I know it.” Swabby's flames crackled a bit as he smiled. “We fire elementals live a long life. We'll get to see the sky again. Until then, we are... safe at least.”

 

“Easy for you to say,” grumbled Fellby. What the hell was he even doing? “And what does it even matter?” He finally shrugged Swabby off, breaking the hug and leaning back. “Those kids went through hell...”

 

“You too. Many other people too,” mumbled Swabby, but leaned back, backing off. “But... you are right. They went through that... for no reason I can see. And by the hand of a monster...” he shook his head. “I still can't believe it.”

 

“At the core no less!” hissed Fellby. “Fuck, how long you think they were there?”

 

“I would say they look like... anywhere between four and nine,” replied Swabby with a frown as he thought on it. “But who knows? None of them had a concept of time... however long it was, it was too long.” His flames crackled, Swabby turns a bit brighter, his magic making itself known again. “Why had no one done anything? Did nobody really know?”

 

“Actually, I was right by the core,” Fellby hissed angrily. “Several times! Fuck, all the time and they were right there...”

 

“You didn't know they even existed,” Swabby interjected.

It was ironic. Grillby had said the same about him. Cannot look for something that you don't even know is missing. But shit, it hurt.

“I still think we should confront Asgore on this. I still want to believe that he had no idea.”

 

“And if he did?” snapped Fellby. “What if he knew all along? What would you do? Let him take them back and do more horrible things to them? Like hell! I'd kill them before it came to that.” Wasn't the first time he did it. He would take the EXP and LOVE if he would save them from that torture again. _Mercy… magic screaming for mercy when he knew no one would give it. An understanding between healers and he gave it but he hated himself for it..._

 

“Don't talk like that!” Swabby cried out, looking at him with wide eyes and shaking. “No, I would never let anybody take them!” he exclaimed, his flames burning bright yellow with sparks of orange beginning to fill them. “I would fight for the children. I wouldn't let anyone take them.”

 

Fellby almost laughed, because, really? Swabby was a wimp. Asgore could kill him without touching him. All of his guards could kill him. Heck, they just had to grab him and lock him out of the house for a few hours around here... Swabby was not a fighter.

However, the expression on his face told Fellby that he knew that. Nevertheless, he would fight. It was stupid but also... brave, Fellby guessed.

 

They stared at each other for a few seconds until Swabby’s flames died down and he looked away. “But... yeah... we... we should maybe wait a bit before telling Asgore...”

 

“I don't really like the idea of-”

 

A scream of pure frustration from above interrupts him, prompting both of them to look up.

 

“Sounds like the children are having a disagreement, huh?” Swabby said, chuckling weakly.

 

“And thaaaaat's for you, ninny,” Fellby replied dryly, grinning at him.

 

“Yeah yeah,” Swabby responded with a small chuckle, standing up. He looks back to Fellby. “Thank you for telling me,” he said softly. “I know it's not easy for you, talking about things, so... I appreciate it.” 

 

“Shut up,” Fellby grumbled, turning back to his coffee.

 

There was a chuckle and amused crackling before Swabby left the room, taking his bright yellow light with him.

 

Fellby stared out of the window, trying to gain control over his mind and memories again. 

 

 

 

Swabby, in the meantime, walked up the stairs and into the room of the children, where he was greeted by the sight of Papyrus stomping his little feet while Sans and Suny rolled on the ground, laughing. “Huh? What’s going on up here?” he asked with a smile, carefully entering the room. “Everything alright?”

 

“Papyrus doesn't like puns!” giggled Sans, grabbing hold of his disgruntled brother and grinned. “It's Ter-Rib-le!” he added and started tickling Papyrus, resulting in a half-laugh, half-groan sound from the smaller skeleton. 

 

“Sans, please don't tease your brother,” said Swabby softly, barely suppressing his own laugher because, really, these kids were darn cute. A far cry from the scared, hostile children he got to know over a year ago. It warmed his core knowing that they could goof off like this freely now.

 

“But the puns are funny!” chirped Suny, still giggling.

 

“I know but not everybody likes them,” explained Swabby, finally deciding to rescue Papyrus from the evil hug and tickle assault of his brother. He took him from Sans, carrying him in his arms and petting his back gently. “What do you think is funny?”

 

“But... but puns...” mumbled Sans a little bit heartbroken, almost pouting as he looked up to Papyrus, seemingly mind-boggled by the fact that someone could NOT find puns funny. 

 

“I liked them,” comforted Suny him, petting Sans. 

 

“It isn't that I don't like them,” mumbled Papyrus. “But Sans goes over board. Always. And now he's got Suny doing it too!”

 

“Awwww, Bro, you like them after all?” asked Sans, looking up to Papyrus with an happy smile. He somewhat resembled Suny with that expression.

 

Swabby could not fight the chuckle that escaped him. “Well to much of a good thing can be bad for you,” he said gently.

 

Sans was completely boggled.  “Really?”

 

“Yes. But don't worry, you will figure it out. Just don't make your brother scream whilst doing so.”

 

“I'll try,” promised Sans.

 

Papyrus seemed content with that. As soon as Swabby put him down, he ran over to embrace his brother. 

 

All of the commotion woke Saz who looked up from his little nest of blankets that his brothers had built around him when he fell asleep. The little skeleton blinked and looked around, no doubt still disorientated, the red in his eye slightly dulled. 

This happened pretty often, come to think about it... Swabby couldn’t help but to wonder if Saz may be some kind of narcoleptic. It was hard to tell for sure… The first months of them staying here both he and Parz slept a lot due to their injuries. Both of them were more active now, especially so whenever Fellby was around, but still, Saz tended to nod off multiple times during the day; sometimes he gave short warnings, other times he would just fall over. And after what Swabby had learned from Fellby, the very uncomfortable question of ‘Did this Gaster person do that to him somehow’ rose in his mind. 

 

Suny had noticed the now awoken Saz and let out a little squeal. “You're up again!” he shouted out happily and ran over to Saz, hugging him tightly causing both of them to nearly topple to the ground.

 

Saz let out a surprised yelp as he caught Suny, returning the enthusiastic hug half-heartedly. 

 

It was at this moment that Parz came out of the hiding area, looking around curiously.

 

Saz saw him and smiled. “H...Hey bro!” he stuttered out. “Uh...” Saz looked around, seemingly counting his brothers. “Where is Pyru?”

 

“He's... uh... sleeping,” grumbled Parz, surprisingly subdued and not meeting Saz' eyes.

 

Swabby blinked a bit at that.

 

“Uh... what did I miss?” he questioned, frowning like his usual self. “You were really loud.”

 

“Sans was helping us with a puzzle!” Papyrus answered, drawing the attention of everybody around him as he pointed to the puzzle pieces on the ground. 

 

“And we were playing before that!” added Suny. “But Saz fell asleep…” He pouted, arms still wrapped around Saz.

 

“He was being lazy!” added Papyrus, nodding.

 

“I'm not lazy...” mumbled Saz in protest. “I just got really tired suddenly…”

 

Swabby sat down in front of Saz. “This happens a lot, huh?” he asked gently. “Getting tired suddenly?”

 

“Uh... hmmm,” mumbled Saz, looking away before hesitatingly nodding. “Yeah...”

 

Well, it was a point on his list of things they had to check out as soon as they found a doctor they could trust and the children would not be afraid of. For now, Swabby just layed a hand on Saz' shoulder, smiling at him. “It's okay... just be careful where you sleep when this happens.”

 

Saz nodded hesitantly.

 

Sans stood up at Swabby’s statement. “Don't worry, Swabby. I'll have a eye on him!” he proclaimed and showed off his magic blue eye.

 

Swabby chuckleed at that as Papyrus groans. “I know you do,” Swabby stated gently. “So... do you want to show me your puzzle?”

 

That earned him a few cheering sounds from Papyrus and Suny who explained excitedly all about their puzzle. The steps they already had done and what they already had fixed together. 

 

Swabby joined in. It was fun. There were enough colorful pieces to go around for all of them.

 

Even Parz pointed out some missing pieces here and there and Saz, after looking at Parz and noticing that his brother was invested in the puzzle as well, decided to go on piece-hunting duty. 

 

It was nice. Laughing children were around him and  colorful puzzle pieces. 

 

However, his thoughts were not so nice. Swabby kept thinking of the bits and pieces he had from the children’s past and what little he knew of Fellby’s own past… His heart was breaking for all of them. For Grillby with what he had endured during the war, that left him shaken and silent for days on end sometimes. For Fellby, who was broken by humans… Moreover, for the children, who had not done anything wrong yet were subjected to so much cruelty. And by the hands of a monster no less!

 

No wonder Saz and Parz had a difficult relationship. No wonder Pyru had phases of paranoia and nervousness. No wonder Sans and Papyrus were shaken and scared sometimes. No wonder each of them clung to one another. The wounds of the past were still visible in all of them. The worst was, Swabby was sure that he had not even a glimpse at the full picture yet... 

 

Well, there was no use in lamenting about it . He just did the only thing he could : support the kids, support his cousins and try to make everything better, bit by bit.

 

He just hoped there  were not any more bad surprises in store. 

 

 

 

It was a busy day and Grill by was thankful for that.

 

The start of the blizzard season br ought snow and icy temperatures so people were desperate for some warmth and a hot meal or drink. Even the furred monsters, who normally liked the cold, came to him during this time, filling his bar and ordering his food. 

 

Not only did a full house mean that they would have enough money for the next month, it also meant that Grillby was to busy working as to think about... everything else.

 

Seeing Fellb y this morning, rested and for the most part okay, was... good. Very good. 

 

Still, the revelations about his past laid heavy on his soul. His cousin was just a  child waiting for someone who wouldn't come... waiting for HIM specifically and he didn't even know it.

Rationally, Grillby knew that he couldn't have known. Even if he knew about the attack in time and had somehow known that Fellby's dust wasn't amongst the rest… He would not have had the first clue where to search. 

Rationally, he knew that there was  no way for him to have known or have rescued his cousin. But damn it, he hated it and his soul just couldn't accept that fact. 

 

An other source of frustration was his family.

 

Everyone that was left had been so eager to take him in after the war. It was suffocating and he did not like the attention but he knew that there were people who cared about him. He still had a good relationship with his sister and her young daughter. He still had contact with some of them, even after he refused to attend to the reunions…

But that the whole family just...  did not care for Fellby, who had needed the help more than him after the war… It left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Swabby he could excuse, he was just a kid at the time. But everybody else? 

 

His magic was crackling softly, mixing in his flames whenever he thought about it.

It just wasn't fair. It  was not fair that anybody had to suffer like that.

 

What happened to the children  was not fair either.

God, what messed up m ind had filled all these tapes?

Humans Grillby could see doing such things. He had seen his share of cruelties during the war. But a monster doing some thing like this to innocent children? 

 

He was glad that he  had not watched more of the tapes. His curiosity was more than sated and it was a relief to know that the royal guards would handle things from there even if everything in his soul was screaming at him to go out there and hunt this Gaster person down. 

 

He  would not make the mistake of rushing into a senseless fight ever again.

 

The bar was full, he had a lot work to do.

 

Yet he could not stop the thoughts from entering his mind.

 

He  was serving a couple of bunnies when he noticed the sentries coming inside, grim expression on their faces. He excuses himself, making his way over to them. 

 

Doggo seemed paler than usual, chewing nervously on a treat.

 

The other dogs looked rather uneasy as well. 

 

“Grillby,” Doggo nodded as he approaches the group. “Good to see you. We would like to have a word with you. Can we talk… in private?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lullaby Fellby is singing is a german lullaby called "Die Blümelein sie schlafen", roughly translated "The little flowers are sleeping". It's a very beautiful and gentle song. 
> 
> Why and how does he know it? From his mum. How did she knew it? *shruggs* Who knows? ;)


	9. A dark past - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where cute stuff is happening, laughter is shared and some dark secrets are uncovered. (and some left in the dark)
> 
> Warnings: Mention of child-death, mention of torture, mention of alcohol... nothing bad like the other chapters, but still, look out a bit. Otherwise, mostly fluffy cute stuff

 

 

“ _Grillby,” Doggo nodded as he approached the group. “Good to see you. We would like to have a word with you. Can we talk… in private?”_

 

Grillby nodded and led them into his kitchen, passing the stove and hot oil vats, taking them to an area mostly used to store the raw ingredients. He turned around when he was sure everybody was within the room; Greater Dog had followed them in without his armor, whereas Lesser Dog had chosen to stay outside so that it was just him, Doggo and Greater Dog. Grillby looked around for Dogamy and Dogaressa.

 

“They wanted to stay outside, have an eye and nose on things,” explained Doggo, removing his dog treat from his mouth and looking at it. “They were pretty shaken by the whole thing. It's very messy.”

 

Grillby gave a nod. He knew that the two of them have been trying for puppies of their own for a long time so seeing someone do such things to children as what those tapes entailed... it was enough to sicken anyone. He closed his eyes, trying to clear the thoughts out of his mind before looking towards Doggo again, his flames crackling curiously. 

 

“Hey... better we come directly to the point,” sighed Doggo. “We are not yet finished with all of the tapes but... it's bad. I think you knew that already. We also found many written reports about the kids. It is a bit... strange and unusual, but... I think you should have this.” He handed Grillby a worn leather bound book. “It's a diary, we think. Though the contents are a bit… odd.”

 

Grillby took the book and looked it over . It seemed well loved and used; the leather is smooth but seems thinner in a few places and the inside is filled with neat writing. He looked up to Doggo noticing that he seemed more nervous than ever, Greater dog leaning against him in an attempt to comfort. 

 

“We searched the laboratory and found the three rooms you already saw; bare but once used and opened. One most likely opened by normal means and two destroyed with force,” reported Doggo. “There was also... a door that was still locked. We found... monster dust in the locked room and in one of the rooms opened via force. It was enough dust for a single monster each… a small one... We believe it was a little skeleton each.”

 

Grillby stared at him, flames rising. Dust of two monsters? But... “There... was another set?” he asked, his voice crackling through his flames making a hissing sound.

 

Doggo gave a small nod. “Yes... we found some tapes labeled S4 and P4. We believe it is the dust of these children that we found,” he continued.

 

However, Grillby could not hear him over the thoughts raging within his mind.

There was a fourth pair of children that did not made it out. The others had not said anything about them, so more than likely, they did not know of their existence…

 

… or they already knew that the fourth pair were dead.

 

Oh star s, this was bad. This... who would do something like that? Who COULD do something like that to CHILDREN?

 

His LOVE whispered again.

 

He had a name. He had a face.

The Underground is a prison, meaning his prey could not escape.

He could hunt him, he would find him. Nothing could hide from him.

Even if the man would sit at the bottom of the deepest lake in Waterfall, he could find him, reach him, boil him…

  
HE WOULD KILL HIM **.**

 

**Gaster!**

 

Grillby felt himself shaking from the effort to holding himself still, while his soul and mind raged.

 

This burning, stinging , PAINFUL hatred. 

 

“Grillby? Grillby! Grillby, please calm down!”

 

Grillby blinked, noticing that Doggo was looking at him with something between worry and fear. His fur seemed brighter, more blue-ish... what?

 

Oh.

 

Grillby glanced to his hands to find his flames were now a brilliant blue, pulsing and flickering and hissing.

 

It was a miracle that he still had enough  control over himself not to spoil the diary or burn those within the confined room. 

 

Okay, Grillby... deep breaths. Deep breath s. Think about something calm.

A forest.  _Burn the wood, don't let them hide, they killed your friend, they will not find sanctuary there._ The ocean.  _They tried to use water against you; they screamed and were so surprised when you boiled the water, boiling them alive._ A desert.  _Nothing around you, nothing to burn. No life, no plant, just nothingness. No LOVE to gain. Just you and your thoughts; the stars in the night sky and the sun beaming down in the day._ Snowdin.  _Cold with snow and ice all around, subduing your heat, gently calming the burning hate and anger. Calmness. Breathing in the cold air. You are safe. Nothing can get you here. You are safe and you keep your friends safe._

 

You are home. Y ou are safe and you will keep your family safe.

 

He opened his eyes, his flames returning to their natural red orange color, his mind clearing and the screams of his LOVE returning to a quiet whisper behind his anger. 

  
“I... must apologize,” Grillby muttered softly. “I-”

 

“Hey, it's no problem,” Doggo cut in, Greater Dog barking once in confirmation. “Some of us... uh... needed to vent some steam after seeing this too.”

 

“... Do you have him?” questioned Grillby.

 

There was no need in explaining who ‘he’ was, Doggo understood and shook his head solemnly. “No. He seems to have left the lab and is on the run but don't worry… We’ll keep our eyes open; he can't stay hidden forever. He won't escape, Grillby.”

 

Grillby nodded thankful . He would sleep a lot better knowing that this... person... was brought to justice. Maybe his damned LOVE would shut up then. “Thank you,” he replied, his voice closer to a hiss of a steam than actual words but the dogs seemed to understand. 

 

“We'll keep you posted, Grillby,” stated Doggo, sighing deeply. “And if there is anything we could do for the kids... just let us know.”

 

Grillby nodded and saw them out, the little book still in his hands and his mind full of emotions and questions.

 

The rest of the day w as a blur.

There were orders to make and things to clean... It was even a bit of a relieve to have a distraction from what the dogs told him. Even if he also still had the desire to get answers.

 

It was during the afternoon break, when he closed the bar for a few hours that he sat down and looked through the diary. 

 

The writing on s ome of the pages were old and faded, other paged contained newer entries. The writing was strange but Grillby could read it, mostly, without much problem. 

 

 

**The construction of the core comes along nicely. Very** **soon, we should have all the energy we need. Finally. Despite being in Hotland, I still have chill spells almost daily. But I refuse to wear something so undignified like a snuggie! XXXX be damned with this thing!**

 

Something here was scribled out... a name perhaps?

 

**The core has started** **producing; we are moving XXXX's project along now. I am intrigued. Sentimental reasons aside, it is a brilliant piece of work. I wonder about the possibilities.**

 

Another word scribbled out, the letters behind the harsh markings unable to be read. Defiantly a name. A partner? Perhaps belonging to the unknown voice in the video?

The next few pages listed some technical details that Grillby could not understand. He skimed through the pages, brows knitting together in confusion at the strange words and complicated equations until something familiar caught his eyes. 

 

**S-1 awoke today.** **Its magic is strong but the readings indicate a very low health. Is there an inverted link between physical and magical strength? Maybe we should try a different angle. Experiment a bit. Skeletons are very strong and if this experiment comes through, we will revive this breed of monsters for real. They will become the foundation for the future, a tool of protection… so why not improve upon them? XXXX had an idea there with the shape shifting magics. I bet we could give them more power.**

 

It seemed as though Sans was originally created to bring back a nearly existent monster breed… (Gautami flashed before Grillbys eyes, who expressed a desire to have children, but never was able to); though the phrasing, especially the part about ‘a tool’, led Grillby to believe there was a much darker meaning behind the skeleton’s creation. But what? And for what reason? Why did this Gaster feel that torturing children was a means to any end?

 

**S-1** **is in his room now. XXXX is a fool about things. His ‘tests’ are useless. He does not see what we have here at our hands!**

 

**P-1 was introduced to S-1 today. It went... well. XXXX is as sentimental as ever. He coddles them, and suggest ridiculous things in the name of “fun”. At this rate I need more time, but it shouldn't be difficult to convince this fool.**

 

Grillby frowned and wished Gaster would have worked with dates. He still had no clue when Sans or Papyrus were born. He also wondered who this mysterious partner was and how exactly he and Gaster were connected.

 

**These experiments are beyond** **useless. They make the subjects weak minded. If I wish to further our research then I need different subjects to study.**

 

**The SP2** **series comes along nicely. The modifications seem to be standing well thus far. However, the SP3 series is on hold; something is wrong with them, the genetic traits seem to have somehow scrambled during their coding process. It does not matter. The SP4 series is still in stasis. Overall, things move along nicely.**

 

SP4? As in S4 and P4? There really had been a fourth pair of children... and no one had known!

Grillby’s flames crackled violently.

Another pair of children who had faced living hell as the six precious skeletons at his home... yet they never received a happy ending... no, they were dust now. (Who collected their dust? Did the dogs gave them a proper funeral? He would have to ask later...)

Grillby skimmed through the pages again, not bothering to read all the minute details. He didn't want to read all details about what Gaster did to them just... yet. No, he wanted clues. Just a single clue to Gaster’s whereabouts... that’s all he would need.

 

**They refuse to fight each other. The SP1 series seems to have bonded to strongly during their time with** **XXXX and the SP3 series may have been left to their own devices for far too long, now refusing to follow my orders. Nevertheless, I can still test my theories on the SP2 and SP4 series. I need strong subjects.**

 

**A small push was all it took. Under threat of punishment, the SP2 series did not hesitate to fight one another.**

 

Grillby knew this happened, he had seen it on the tape, but reading about it like that sent a whole new wave of anger down his body.

 

**S-2 has begun to fall. Weak. I may have to start thinking about a replacement.**

 

A replacement...? A child was hurt, likely dying, and the first thought of this _thing_ was getting them replaced?

 

**The sample** **s taken from the SP3 series surpass my initial expectations.**

 

A sample? Grillby tried to see if there was anything more about this, but the next entries around this one were mainly rants about the incompetence and foolish nature of the mysterious partner.

 

**I hate him so much. That idiot. That** **stupid, trusting idiot.**

 

There were a few pages that were nearly entirely blacked out, as if ink spilled on them. The next readable page was written in blue ink instead of black.

 

**P** **-3 comes along greatly, however S-3 is a failure. I need to find of way of disposing of it without XXXX’s knowing.**

 

Grillby really, really tried not to think about Suny, sweet little Suny, being... “disposed of”.

 

**I believe the only way of improving the subject further would be to** **raise their LOVE. I shall test this with the SP2 and SP4 series… The receivers of LOVE will then be pitted with one another to see if they can coexist... The SP3 series shall either provide additional LOVE or gain some for themselves.**

 

**Today’s experiment was semi** **successful. S-4 took little coaching and quickly eliminated P-4. However, the SP2 series failed. P-2 seems unable to kill S-2 despite his falling process… for now I shall focus on S-4 and figure out what to do with the SP2 series later.**

 

Grillby’s breath hitched at the sentence, hot tears gathering in his eyes. What had this maniac done to these children? What sort of creature would pit children against each other to kill? Who would be so... cold?

 

**S** **-4 gained a good amount of LOVE but proves to be wild, unable to follow direct orders… instable. Though S-4 seems willing to fight and that is all we needed. I have decided to place S-4 within the units of SP2 and SP3 series… we’ll see what happens from there.**

 

This was the last entry. 

 

Grillby sat down with his arms on the counter top and his head resting in his hands. His precious children had to go through so much... In addition, they most likely did not even know that they had siblings that were already dead. 

 

Nevertheless, there were so many questions still left unanswered.

According to the diary, Gaster had a partner. Somebody who was involved but most likely did not approve of his methods… The children never spoke of anybody else except the ‘angel’ Sans and Papyrus would occasionally talk about. So, who was this person? What was their role in this mess? Was he the “angel”? Did he help the children? What happened to him? 

Where was Gaster now? What should he, Grillby, do now?

 

What could he possibly do to help his children?

 

He looked over to the diary, sitting almost harmlessly on his counter. 

 

Well, he could only do what he did now. Give them a home, give them his love, protect them from anything that would want to take that little happiness away from them... and help them heal.

 

It was... good to know what they went through. It explained certain behaviors and made it easier to understand and avoid situations that might trigger them. Things Grillby had to learn bitterly over a thousand years could benefit the skeletons now without much trial and error.

 

He would leave the hunt for Gaster to the Guards.

 

And Swabby and Fellby... stars, he had to talk with both of them.

 

With Swabby about what his plans for the future were, if  he really was willing to commit himself to this for the long run. The kids were already attached to him, as well as to Fellby, so if he wanted to leave, he should do it sooner than later. If he wanted to stay...

Well, Grillby would be glad. He enjoyed the company and presents in his life. Swabby was a very nice person and very understanding. To be honest, without his help Grillby would have fallen over during the first months. Moreover, yesterday surely was... rough on him. 

Stars, he and Fellby both were really falling apart around Swabby and the poor guy got caught up in the middle of it all…

 

And Fellby... there were many things they had to talk about but Grillby wasn't sure if Fellby would be willing to do so. He felt... guilty. He was sure he could help his cousin at least with the flashbacks... if he let him, that is. 

At least he  had not found any more alcohol in the house. Moreover, the whiskey from last night was gone. Still, one point more on his ever-growing list of things he had to discuss with his cousin. 

 

The kitchen’s clock chirps, letting him know that his break was almost over. Soon new customers would fill his bar, demanding his attention. 

For a moment, Grillby entertained the thought of burning the diary. Destroying this witness to the disturbed mind of the monster that hurt his children. His flames crackle a big higher, but quickly die back down.

No. It was still the past. In addition, any bit of evidence, no matter how small, was pieces of the puzzle to locate this Gaster and bring him to justice.

 

\--

 

The way home was almost refreshing.  
Snow was falling all around him, hissing whenever it hit his flames, evaporating harmlessly without him even noticing, just leaving the refreshing coldness behind. 

The diary was heavy within his pocket and his mind but the sight of his home, warm lights shining against the darkness and welcoming him, left him feeling lighter than ever. 

 

He entered the house, hanging his coat upon the rack and looked around. “I'm home,” he called out loudly but paused as he noticed the odd smell in the air. It smelled... bad. Very bad. Not burned or rotten exactly, just... well, he could not explain the smell.

There were voices coming from the kitchen; a loud shout, a crash and, suddenly, there was Fellby coming at him full speed and throwing his arms around him, crashing into him and causing Grillby stagger backwards, surprised. 

 

“Oh thank the stars you're back!” Fellby exclaimed, still clinging to him. “I can’t eat that shit!”

 

Grillby could just stare at Fellby with wide eyes, his arms having caught him and held him more out of reflex when he crashed into him. He had expected a lot of things but certainly not this. And seeing as how Fellby did not seem to be letting up, he gently patted at his cousin’s back. “Fellby?” he asked carefully. “Uh... What happened? What about food?”

 

Moreover, what was up about him throwing himself at him like that? Seriously... Grillby was used to Fellby randomly flopping down on him or Swabby and using them as pillows or setting up some ridiculous passive-aggressive plots to get some sort of physical affection, but this direct approach was... unusual at best!

 

“It's Swabby’s fault,” mumbled Fellby.

 

“Could you please start making sense?” asked Grillby, sniffing at the air again. The strange smell was stronger now that Fellby was here. “And what is that smell? It’s like... despair and bad decisions.”

 

Fellby shook his head, clinging harder onto him. “Just... PLEASE tell me you brought some food back with you from the bar.”

 

Grillby blinked. Well it was true that he would sometimes do such; p acking up some leftovers for them to eat at home… but he had no idea why Fellby suddenly caved burgers and fries. The whole situation was just... worrisome. 

“No, I have nothing with me,” Grillby stated, seeing the despair that was forming quickly on Fellby’s face. ”But I'm sure we can work something out?” he added awkwardly, slowly coming to the conclusion that the foul smell was most likely a failed attempt at cooking. Which was unusual in itself... Swabby was an excellent cook and could handle the kitchen even with a few kids jumping around him. Therefore, he just patted at Fellby’s back once more. “Just let me see the damage,” he mumbled out softly.

 

This prompted Fellby to let go of him but instead of following him into the kitchen, he walked into the living room, a bit like a zombie in those old black and white movies that the humans seemed to love, and flopped facedown on the couch. He then pulled one of the cushions around his head, flames barely visible, and let out a sound of pure despair. 

 

Grillby shook his head. Really, whatever was wrong, he did not hear any sounds of distress from the others. Surely, Fellby was just being overly dramatic about the whole thing… With one last look to his cousin, he turned and enters the kitchen, intending to find and solve the problem. 

 

“Swabby, whatever happened to Fellby? He looks like-“ he began, but paused mid-sentence and took in the sight before him. 

 

Swabby and the children were sitting at a table, each of them with a plate in front of them. However, on the plates was the source of the smell. And it looked… diverse. A blackish, bluish mess that seemed intertwined with other colors than even Suny could name and some parts which seemed more solid than others. Most of the children regarded their plate with an expression of distrust and the kind of fascination one could have after seeing a terrible disaster.

Sans had  his food half hidden under a hill of ketchup and was now busy drinking it from the bottle.

Papyrus and Swabby were helping Parz drink a bit of water,  a spoon with some of the goop still on it indicating that he had tried to be brave and eat some.

Saz and Pyru were watching Suny silently as the boy poked at his food with a spoon. 

The food poked back!

This prompted Pyru to shift forms and shoot a blaster beam at the food on his own plate. 

However, the food survived! (And growled.)

 

Only now did Swabby look up and took notice of Grillby, to many emotions on his face for Grillby to read but he was not paying much attention to the yellow flame. Instead, he was looking at something behind Swabby...

 

His kitchen…

 

The terrible goo…

 

His flames burned higher and hotter, brightening up everything within the kitchen as he screamed.

 

“OH MY STARS WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!?”

 

“Grillby?” questioned Swabby but had no opportunity to say much more as Grillby took him and shoved him out of the kitchen together with the children.

 

“OUT! EVERYBODY OUT!” Only when he was the last one in the room did he take a deep breath, looking out of the door to the others and trying to keep his voice as even and calm as possible. “Please give me ten minutes,” he said before turning around and closing the door behind himself. 

 

Swabby glanced towards the children.

 

“OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SINK?”

 

Swabby looked at Fellby who was still screaming, abit muffled, into the couch. The back to the kitchen door where there were now some strange sounds were coming from within.

 

“Is Grillby going to get rid of it?” questioned Suny with a hint of disappointment. 

 

“Are you sad about that?” asked Saz, looking at his smaller brother. 

 

“Well... I thought... maybe we could keep it as a pet,” Suny mumbled. 

 

“I don't think so, bro,” replied Sans with a light growl to his voice. “That stuff was... not pet material.”

 

“Awww.”

 

Fellby took a deep breath and resumed his muffled scream.

 

There was a loud crash, together with a cry of “DIE YOU HORRIBLE CREATURES OUT OF HELL! BURN!”.

 

Swabby blinked, looking back at the kitchen door. It was hard to tell if Grillby was really shouting or if he just hallucinated the whole thing due to inhaling the fumes off of the ‘food’…

Maybe it was best that they all just sit down for a bit. Therefore, he herded the children deeper within the living room before sitting down on what little space was still free on the couch beside Fellby. He glanced down when Parz took hold of his hand and leaned his small body against his leg, still reeling from the taste of the food no doubt. Therefore, Swabby wrapped his arms around the skeleton and pulled him into his lap so that the boy could lean against him a bit more comfortably.

 

Saz watched his brother with a great deal of worry. “You okay, bro?” he questioned, sitting down in front of the couch.

 

Parz laid his head against Swabby's chest, taking a deep breath. “Yeah... I'm... okay…” he mumbled.

 

Swabby just petted the boy with sympathy.

 

“I'm still hungry!” exclaimed Papyrus as he flopped down beside Saz, pouting and rubbing his stomach.

 

Suny, Pyru and Sans  are quick to follow suit and flopped down on the floor nearby.

 

“Me too,” mumbled Pyru. He sighed and looked towards the kitchen. “But I'm not sure if I will ever be brave enough to eat again...”

 

“It was not THAT bad,” chirped Suny. “I still think it would have been a nice pet.”

 

“I wonder if Grillby will get us a pet,” mused Papyrus.

 

“What kind of pet do you want?” asked Sans, leaning a bit on his brother.

 

“I don't know,” Papyrus replied. “Just not a dog.”

 

“The goo was funny,” insisted Suny. 

 

“You didn't EAT any of it, did you?” Pyru questioned, hugging Suny close to his chest.

 

“No. It took my spoon!” he exclaimed happily. “Right out of my hand!”

 

“I SHALL SEND YOU BACK TO THE FIREY PITS YOU HAVE SPRUNG FROM!” came from the kitchen, together with a loud WOOOSH sound. 

 

“A pet rock would be cool,” mused Sans, completely ignoring the other noises. Maybe Swabby really did only imagine them. “It would start out as a little pebble and grow into a giant stone.”

 

“I don't think it works like that,” mumbled Saz, but was ultimately ignored by the others.

 

“But what do pet rocks eat?” asked Papyrus. 

 

“I bet it'd like sprinkles! Everyone likes sprinkles!” chirpped Suny. “I like sprinkles too! I would share them with the rock.”

 

Sans and Pyru both chuckled at that.

 

“Sure, sprinkles makes sense,” replied Sans with a smile.

 

There was a new crash within the kitchen.

 

Fellby groaned out, his voice still muffled by the pillow.

 

Swabby finally turned to him and... yeah... no. Strange. “Fellby?” he tried to get his attention.

 

“What?” he questioned, voice muffled from the pillow. 

 

“What the heck did you do to dinner?”

 

“I cooked... like you asked...”

 

“Fellby, I'm not sure if creating something alive and evil is considered cooking. Why didn't you say that you needed help?”

 

There was a new WOOSH sound from the kitchen, the temperature inside the house suddenly rising by a few degrees and everything went silent.

 

“Fuck you,” Fellby cursed into the pillow. “I told YOU to make dinner.”

 

“I was busy with the children and you could have just told me you can't cook.”

 

“It wasn’t _that_ bad...”

 

“Fellby, seriously? It was. It was WORSE.”

 

Before  anybody could say anything else, there was the sound of footsteps and the kitchen door opened. All of them turned around and looked at Grillby, who looked calm and collected as ever, his flames burning at a gentle red-orange. There was a strange smear on his apron but otherwise everything seemed... normal.

 

Swabby  could not help but to wonder if he had just hallucinated the strange noises.

 

“Dinner is served,” said Grillby and steps aside, giving way the sight of the kitchen. 

 

Which was totally spotless! Everything was clean again; the strange goop in the sink was gone and fortunately so was the ‘food’. It was a bit hotter inside than usual but an open window would fix that soon...

The table was decked out with new plates and in the middle laid a large plate with freshly made tasty-looking Hotdogs, Burgers and French Fries. Moreover, it smelled godly! 

 

Sans was the first to stand, proclaiming loudly, “It smells really good” as he made his way into the kitchen and stared at the food. 

Swabby turned his head and stared at Grillby, who looked as though he just fought a long, hard war alone against a whole army, in wonder.

 

“Come in and take a seat,” he said softly and that itself seemed to break the children out of their spell; they bolted to the kitchen table and climbed up their chairs, staring at the food.

 

“Is it food this time?” asked Pyru, looked to Suny who just took a big bite out of a burger.

 

The little skeleton chewed a bit before his eyes lighten up and became starry. “It's delicious!” he proclaimed before resumes eating with gusto.

 

The others begin eating too; Sans drowning his portion of Fries in ketchup, Saz helping Parz with his own food, seeing that he was still a bit dazed, and Pyru eating his hotdog after dipping it into some honey.

 

The flames were left alone in the living room.

Swabby looked at Fellby who had since turned around to look at the kitchen, a mix between being disgruntled and upset. “You coming?” Swabby questioned while standing up. Because, really, Grillby's food did smell very good and he was quite hungry himself.

 

“Please, both of you, come to dinner,” stated Grillby, wiping his hands on his apron.

 

“It's still Swabby’s fault,” Fellby grumbled, standing up and walking into the kitchen, leaving Swabby and Grillby alone. 

 

“At least he is back to his normal self... more or less,” muttered Swabby with a slight grin.

 

Grillby turned to him. “Hm?”

 

“We... had a talk,” explained Swabby. “About yesterday, mostly. Things got a bit... emotional.” He sighed out. “For both of us, honestly.”

 

“Ah,” responded Grillby and looked awkwardly to the side. “Are you two-”

 

“We are okay, Grillby,” interrupted Swabby, smiling a bit. “It was necessary and Fellby... I think he needed to talk about some stuff too. He... told me about the tapes. Uh... more like... details about what was on the tapes.”

 

“They were bad.”, stated Grillby.

 

“Yes... I... feel a bit like a coward but I don't want to see them,” mumbled Swabby. “And I think they were affecting Fellby more than he lets on... but... are _you_ okay?”

 

“I am alight,” Grillby replied, sighing. “It was a long day... and the guards visited me. We should talk later with Fellby about… some things.”

 

“The guards? Why?”

 

“They discovered…” Grillby made a small sound, looking away with a shake of his head. “They gave me some new information. I will tell you later. For now... let's eat.”

 

Swabby looked at him curiously but did not question him anymore, following behind him. 

 

Dinner was a happier affair and Grillby felt himself relaxing more and more. He found himself laughing quietly about the tales of excitement the children told him, he told them that he would consider a pet rock as well as reassuring them that the evil goop was forever destroyed.

 

Suny seemed a tiny bit disappointed by that bit of information. 

 

The children informed Grillby that Saz fell asleep at multiple points during the day and that they did a puzzle together with Swabby. As well as being told about naptime and the fact that Parz was hiding in a hideout for most of the day.

Parz mumbled, “I’m good,” when Grillby looked towards him. “Just tired.”

 

Fellby looked tired too. He ate with the same expression of bliss as the children, but his flames crackled subdued and he avoided eye contact with, well, everyone.

It did not take Grillby long to notice that Swabby and Parz both were sending Fellby worried looks with Pyru looking after Parz from time to time. 

 

How curious.

 

In no time at all the food was gone and the children were looking happy once more.

Parz let out a very large yawn that prompted the other children to follow suit, Sans even going as far as to rubbing his eyes.

Grillby chuckled a bit at the children. Seemed like they really were all tuckered out. “Looks like the day was very exciting for all of you,” he said softly, smiling and stood up. “I would say you should go to bed soon, hm?”

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Saz, yawning again. “That sounds nice.”

 

Parz got up from the table by himself, moving towards the stairs without a word. Sans picked up a very sleepy looking Papyrus from his chair and cuddled him close. 

 

“But I wanna play,” mumbled Suny.

 

“We know, Suny. We'll play with you tomorrow,” Sans replied, petting him on the head with his free hand, earning a little pout from the small skeleton.

 

Pyru nodded too, shifting into his canine form and made his way upstairs, picking Saz up by the back of his shirt along the way.

There was minimal protest from Saz. He quickly surrendered to his fate and let himself be carried to their room like a puppy. 

 

“Awwww,” protested Suny, “but I'm not even sleepy!”

 

Grillby chuckled again, getting up and gently lifted Suny up, settling him on his hip. “Tomorrow is another day, Suny,” he said gently. “And you want to start it with full energy. Little bones like yourself need their sleep.”

 

Suny continued to pout but settled against him, doing his best to hide a yawn. “Okay,” he mumbled unhappily. “But... can we have a story?”

 

“A story?” questioned Papyrus, looking up and smiling at him excited. “Oh yes! Please?”

 

“Of course,” Grillby answered, beginning to walk up the stairs with Suny, Sans following behind him with Papyrus. “Any wishes for the story?”

 

“Something nice?” Sans said questionably.

 

“Fluffy bunny! Fluffy bunny!” chanted Papyrus and Suny happily.

 

Grillby smiled. The kids really liked the fluffy bunny series for some reason. 

 

They arrived at the children's room where Pyru, Saz and Parz were already sitting upon the bed waiting. Grillby helped them all into their sleeping clothes and tucked them in, watching as they all curled up around each other, building a cuddle pile of skeletons before he retrieved the book.

He settled down on the bed and held the book so that they could look at the colorful pictures decorating the pages. As he red to them, Grillby watched as the children slowly fell asleep, cuddled together with smiles on their little faces. 

 

Sans was the last one awake, his eyes still trained at him. “Grillby?” he whispered as Grillby closed the book. 

 

“Shhh,” shushed Grillby, laying his hand on Sans' skull. “Go to sleep... it was a long day after all.”

 

“Hmm... is... it safe?”

 

“It's safe,” answered Grillby, already knowing the little ritual Sans had created with him by heart. “It's safe for you and your brothers. I won't let anything harm you for as long as you are here.”

 

Sans smiled at that, finally relaxing and going to sleep.

Grillby sat with them for a little while, watching them sleep.

His precious little ch ildren.

Saz and Parz who were  still struggling to live life without pain and fear. Pyru who was now relaxed and smiling. Suny and Papyrus with their unbound energy. Sans who finally allowed himself to trust him with guarding their lives as they slept. 

 

Saz and Parz who he had watched being tortured and their bond slowly destroyed. Saz, who was falling down and Parz who was planned to kill his own brother. Pyru who was supposed to have replaced Saz and was being prepared for that very purpose, who screamed when his soul was harmed yet endured everything for the life of his little brother. Suny who was just supposed to be free LOVE for someone to gain, who was destined to die as soon as Pyru replaced Saz. Papyrus and Sans who somehow managed to hold onto their bond up until the their escape. 

 

His precious children who had to go through so much before they even came to him.

The hate for this Gaster was still so strong...

Nevertheless, his LOVE would never be as strong as his love for these children. 

 

He made sure they all were warm and tucked in, kissing each of them on their skulls. “Sleep well,” he whispered before leaving the room.

 

 

He found Swabby and Fellby in the kitche n, Fellby sitting in a chair watching Swabby as the yellow flame cleaned up the plates.

 

Swabby placed the last plate down as Grillby arrived. “Ah, good,” he mumbled. “Go ahead and sit down, Grillby. I made some tea, do you want any?”

 

Grillby smiled and sat down, nodding. Sea Tea, his favorite. It reminded him of a very old friend. Even if many bad memories were associated with his past, the tea always managed to calm his nerves. And that was something he really needed at the moment.

 

Swabby sat down next to him, his flames brightening the room while Fellby stared into his own cup; not tea like the other two but coffee.

 

“So, Grillby... what happened today?” Swabby asked, looking at him. “You said the Guards were in the bar?”

 

Grillby nodded and pulled out the diary, laying it down on the table between them. 

 

“What’s this thing?” asked Fellby as he began lazily looking through it. “The fuck is this writing?”

 

“It's Gaster's,” replied Grillby.

 

Fellby stopped flipping through the pages, starring up at him.

 

“The dogs gave it to me because... they found another room. Locked like... like the other three.”

 

Fellby looked confused for a moment, before something clicked within his mind. “No,” he growled. “The bastard didn't...”

  
“What?” inquired Swabby. “What are you talking about?”

  
“There were three open rooms in that damn lab,” Fellby growled out. “They were... empty and dark and shit... they were cages. All broken open.”

 

“So... the children?” asked Swabby quietly and Fellby nodded in response. “So when they found another door...”

 

“They found dust,” whispered Grillby, pointing at the diary. “And Gaster wrote about... an S4 and P4.”

 

There was silence, only the crackling of their flames.

 

“This... that fucking...” hissed Fellby, his flames turning violet. “That fucking bastard!”

 

“Do the kids...”, begun Swabby, his own flames looking oddly pale.

 

“No. I think not. The... the diary stopped before he... planed to introduce them with Parz and Saz...”

 

“Should we tell them?”

 

The question hung heavily in the air. 

Grillby honestly had no answer. Should they? Those skeletons were most likely their siblings. They had a right to know. On the other hand, it would only destroy them. Especially Sans and Pyru who were so fixated on keeping all of them together and safe... 

 

“If they ever ask... I don't want to lie to them,” Swabby mumbled. 

 

“Then don't,” agreed Grillby, sighing. “Should they ever want to know, we'll tell them. But if not... we shouldn't burden them with something this heavy...”

 

“I just want to kill the fucking bastard,” hissed Fellby, his flames crackling and his starred in his coffee, his hands shaking. “Damn it.”

 

Grillby nodded , not trusting himself with a verbal answer. The LOVE in him agreed with Fellby. 

 

They sat together in silence for a while, each of them deep in thought.

 

Fellby's flame slowly calmed down to blue again. “Any other nasty surprises?” Fellby questioned after a while.

 

“No... I think not,” mumbled Grillby. “At least I hope not.”

 

“At least now they have a lead to go on,” muttered Swabby. “Speaking of progress... about yesterday...”

 

“I don't wanna talk about it anymore,” stated Fellby quickly, trying to stand up but Swabby held him back. 

 

“Fellby, no! Come on, we have to talk about this.”

 

“We TALKED about it, I'm done.”

 

“You're not,” replied Swabby. “You can't just run away from this, you know?”

 

Fellby made a noise of frustration. “Look, Swabby, I'm really tired of this crap. Heck, I'm just TIRED, okay? I don't want to talk about this shit!”

 

“But-”

 

“No butts, Swabby,” growled Fellby, glaring at him harshly before looking away, his whole body shifting and screaming exhaustion. “Really... I'm fine. I'm not broken. I have to deal with that shit on my own.”

 

“You don't have to, you know?” Grillby stated, looking at him. “We can help you.”

 

Fellby took a deep breath and mumbled something that sounded like “of course you can” with a snort.

 

“Fellby...”

 

“Look,” began Fellby, taking a deep breath and facing them again. “I promise that there is no alcohol in the house. I won’t bring it around the brats and if I should find out what sets me off into my fucking worst nightmares, I'll tell you. Alright?”

  
“It's a start,” mumbled Swabby but let go of Fellby, not that his hold ever held Fellby in place, seeing that the blue flame could literally shove him around like a plush doll… “Wanna have a hug?”, he asked with a bit lighter tone.

  
“What? No!”

 

“But hugs make you feel better!”

 

“I don't wanna have a hug!” Fellby half whined, half snapped back, sounding more like tired child who was refusing to go to bed. 

 

“Come on! One hug! Or I leak this little beauty to the UnderWeb!” Swabby stated, showing him a photo of a nice shot of Fellby happily munching on a cupcake with extra frosting with an expression that could only be described as ‘blissed out’. 

 

“Urgh, where did you get that?” asked Fellby, his face turning slight violet as he made a grab for the photo.

Swabby just grinned and made the photo seemingly disappear, storing it away in one of the many unseen pockets of his clothes. “That’s a secret,” chuckled Swabby, winking. “So? Do we have a deal?”

 

“Hn fine... annoying blackmailer,” grumbled Fellby, looking away.

If Grillby had not known the harsh flame for over a year now, he would have missed the little smile on Fellby’s face. 

 

Swabby smiled happily and went in for the hug, bright yellow flames embracing Fellby. Grillby smiled as well, noticing how Fellby leaned into the hug, relaxing into it. He could understand. Swabby was very good in the hugging department.

 

After a few seconds, Fellby tried to pull back. “Come on, Swabby, let go,” he grumbled, trying to break the hug. “Enough of this stupid cuddly crap.”

 

“Nope,” stated Swabby, grinning. “I'm only letting go when you reached a maximum of feeling better through a hug.”

 

“You know this is stupid, don’t you?”

 

“Turning down hugs is stupid.”

 

Fellby sighed . “You are an idiot,” he mumbled. “And to naive. One day somebody, maybe even a human, will come and slice you into a thousand little smiling bits.”

 

Swabby laughed. “They would have to catch me first.” 

 

“I caught you once.”

 

“That doesn't count.”

 

They stayed again a few seconds in silence before Fellby started to struggle again. “Swabby, I'm serious. Let me go, I'm tired.”

 

“Hey, Tired. I'm Swabby.”

 

“SWABBY!”

 

“Oh, alright,” chuckled Swabby, letting go and grinning at him. “Was that so bad?”

 

“Shut up,” mumbled Fellby, turning around and walking into the living room before throwing himself upon the couch and pulling a blanket over himself, covering up his head. Swabby and Grillby stayed in the kitchen, Swabby slightly chuckling and Grillby smiling in amusement.

 

“He got out of talking about it again,” Grillby pointed out, finishing his own tea. 

  
“Yeah, but at least he promised to tell us when something triggers him,” Swabby added, sitting down again and gave a soft sigh. “Like I said, we talked a bit this morning...”

 

“You want to tell me?”

 

“Sorry, no... Most of this stuff is his story to tell, not mine.”

 

“Very well,” Grillby responded, not wanting to pressure Swabby into talking about their cousin.

 

“Are YOU okay, Grillby?” asked Swabby after a while, looking at him. “You were pretty... gone yesterday too. And seeing that...”

 

“Yeah, I had a few flashbacks if that is what you mean,” Grillby answers truthfully. “Nothing too bad, I got out on my own… and I still have my voice.” He looked up to Swabby. “Are YOU okay? We both unloaded a lot on you the last few days…”

 

“I'm alright.” Swabby stated, smiling. He stood up and hugged Grillby tightly, letting his yellow flame flicker and brighten up the room a bit more. “Don't worry about me, okay? You two had it worse than me.”, he mumbled.

 

“Still, you kind of got caught up in the crossfire...”, said Grillby, returning the hug after a few seconds. He felt himself relax despite everything, enjoying the contact. 

 

“I'm fine,” Swabby repeated, grinning a bit. “Just because I'm yellow doesn't mean I break like hot glass.”

 

“I know,” mumbled Grillby, sighing and feeling a bit better despite everything. And Swabby was right... he proved many times already just how strong he could be. Still, it was never a bad idea to make sure... after all, none of them were invincible. 

They stayed a while in the hug, listening into the now mostly silent house, until Grillby gently broke it. “Come on,” he mumbled. “It's late. We should go to bed too.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” chuckled Swabby. “Tomorrow is a new day.”

 

“Tomorrow is a new day,” Grillby repeated, feeling himself smiling once more.

 

That night,  Grillby slept a lot better than he would have guessed.

 

\--

 

The house had gone silent and dark, save for the rooms where the fire elementals slept.

Outside, the Underground was always dark. Only magic and tiny holes in the ceilling illuminated the caverns in a day-and-night cycles, allowing the monsters to sleep at night.

It was dark and silent within the room of the skeleton children too, however they were not asleep.

 

Sans had listened carefully to the noises of the house. It was maybe half and hour after he heard, as well as saw Grillby's and Swabby's flame, pass their door. Their guardians were most likely asleep by now.

 

Perfect!

 

Only Suny and Papyrus were actually asleep but Pyru woke them up gently.

Saz and Parz were already sitting up and ready to go, more excited about their little adventure than Sans would have thought.

The children all got up from the bed and slowly, as quietly as possible, they made their way down the stairs.

 

Finding Fellby was not very difficult.  He was lying on the couch fast asleep, his blue flames glowing softly within the otherwise dark room.

They reached him quickly enough, unsure what to do. Should they wake him? Should they say something or touch him? Would he be angry if they did so?

 

Pyru finally had the courage to gently pet Fellby on the shoulder.

 

Fellby jumped at the touch and sat up quickly, his eyes wide and strangely bright without his sunglasses. “What!” he semi snapped before looking down at the boys. “Uh... what are you all doing up?” he questioned, still blinking rapidity.

 

“Can we sleep with you tonight?” asked Pyru in his best pleading voice. 

 

“Pleeeeeease?” added Saz, coming up to Fellby too.

 

Sans lifted Suny and Papyrus onto the couch next to Fellby, both of whom gave the flame their best puppy-eyes and snuggled against him.

 

Parz jumped on the foot of the couch, moving to sit on Fellby's legs.

 

“Uh...” came from Fellby. He looked around, almost in panic, half hoping for Swabby or Grillby to come and get the kids from him. “Wouldn't... wouldn't you be... uh...” 

 

Papyrus snuggled into his side, little bone fingers curling around a bit of Fellby’s shirt while Suny climbed over him so that he could snuggle into his other side.

Fellby let out a nervous chuckle as he was being more and more trapped by the tiny children. “W...why?”

 

“We want to,” stated Pyru while climbing up on the couch too. He cuddled up against him like yesterday, sighing softly at the warmth.

 

Saz just nodded, shifting into his canine form and curled up beside Parz onto of Fellby’s legs.

Even Sans was now scrambling up the  couch, lying down next to him. “We wanted to come tonight,” he mumbled against the couch. “Couldn't sleep, all of us.”

 

“Can... you sing for us?” asked Pyru finally, his eyes glowing a bit orange against the darkness. “So we can sleep?”

 

Aw shit. Fellby felt the panic in himself rising more and more. There were kids all over him and asking him to sing. Why? Just... just why? He looked again towards the steps but lo and behold, there was no one to rescue him. “Can't Grillby do it for you?” he tried anyway to stir this oncoming disaster away from him. 

 

“No.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Nooooo, he can't sing!”

 

“Please?”

 

“Pretty please?”

 

“Just one song?” asked Pyru finally, giving him his best puppy eyes.

Shit why were these kids so cute? He couldn’t stand it! However, the worst was that Fellby felt his resolve crumble under the gazes. There was no safe place to look. They were all looking up to him with the same pleading expression.

 

“We'll be good and go right to sleep!” Suny stated, yawning. “Promise!”

 

From the other children came similar promises and more pleading looks  and argh. Just ARGH and shit, now his flames were turning purple and stars, what was he doing? What were these kids doing? He was bad at handling children! 

His only saving grace was that the se kids were very bad at being normal children. So maybe things cancel each other out? Yet something told Fellby that it did not quite work like that...

 

“F-f-fine just... shut up and go to sleep afterwards!” he finally shuttered out, still way to flustered for his liking.

 

This earned him a cheer from the children.

 

A look from him and they were silent, huddled against him and yep, he could not move an inch now. Well, he could but... No. Not thinking about it. Everything was all right. He was just chilling on the couch in his cousin’s living room with a bunch of children all over him, pinning him down and he had just agreed to sing them to sleep. Great... just wonderful. Nothing special here.

 

Welp, this was his life now, apparently.

 

“Ok then,” he mumbled, awkwardly humming first. He took a few somewhat shaky breaths, trying to get into the whole singing business. He needed a few moments, but then begun to sing lowly.

 

“ _Goodnight, my angel, time to close your eyes..._ _and save these questions for another day...”_

 

It was not a lullaby he knew from home, rather one of the songs from the human world, something he heard at Muffet's once. To be honest, he did not even know why the song stayed with him. It was pretty standard kitsch. 

 

“ _I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been_ _trying' to say.”_

 

Nevertheless, the kids liked it;  some of them watching him fascinated while some of them just smiled away, some really closing their eyes. He could feel their little bodies relax against him and somehow... this was not too bad, he supposed.

Therefore, he continued singing, his voice picking up a bit, carrying more of the melody. 

 

“ _I promised I would never leave you and you should always know, wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away...”_

 

The children were beginning to fall asleep when he started the second verse. Sans, Papyrus and Suny were already taking deep and even breaths, their little bodies huddled close to his.

 

“ _And like a boat out on the ocean,_ _”_ Ugh, he had forgotten about that line… His voice wavered at bit at the ocean part but none of the children seemed to notice. _“I'm rocking you to sleep... The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart. You'll always be a part of me_.”

 

Stars, why did he choose this song? He liked it, somehow, but... it made him feel strange. His voice wave red a bit and his soul did... a thing it did more often nowadays. This hot, pulsing feeling like his core suddenly became lava. It was so strange yet somehow nice but also distracting.

 

Still t he children did not seem to notice.

 

Saz was now nodding off, his little head becoming heavier against Fellby’s legs.

Pyru ’s breathing evened out too.

The only child that was awake now is Parz, who was still looking at him with dull glimmering eyes.

 

Fellby let the song trail off, his voice fading out into the room. “Go to sleep, kid,” he whispered at him, moving his free hand on top of Parz' skull.

 

Parz smiled broadly, curling up against him. “Night.”

 

“... Night, kid.”

 

The house was silent once more .

 

\--

 

The next morning started out pretty much the same as always for Grillby. He passed Swabby’s room on the way down, noting that his cousin was not up yet. Strange, normally they would meet on the way to the stairs...

 

Every thought about this little oddity left his mind when he noticed something off about the living room. Curiously, he hurried down the steps and looked into the room.

 

Fellby’s blue flames were barely visible causing the room to seem darker than usual. This was due to six skeleton children laying all over him. Fellby himself was still asleep, looking strangely peaceful for someone buried under a pile of children.

Parz was compl etely stretched out over his legs, transformed into his secondary form with his long legs and his heavy head nuzzled into Fellby’s left leg.

Saz laid beside his brother, transformed over Fellby’s hips, his head resting gently on Parz' shoulder.

Sans was laying across the blue flame ’s middle, little hands clutched in the blanket while Papyrus lay almost completely overtop of him, snoring a tiny bit.

Pyru was curled up in his canine form beside Fellby, stretched to his full length with his tail half laying on top of Papyrus.

In addition, Suny somehow ended up on Fellby's head, his little hands and face buried within the blue flames that made of the ‘hair’ and smiling happily in his sleep.

 

From time to time one of the children would move slightly either to turn a bit in their sleep or take a deep breath of air.

 

This was seriously one of the cutest things Grillby had ever seen in his life!

 

Papyrus kicked his leg out, moving a bit as if he was running, and nearly kicked Sans off of the couch.

Sans’ eyes widen in surprise as he held onto Fellby, making sure he was not going to fall before relaxing again.

The other children began waking up slowly and Grillby risked coming nearer to them. 

 

“Morning, bro,” Saz said quietly as Parz slowly blinked open his eyes, looking confused.

 

Pyru yawned. “Morning,” he said lazily, reaching out to slowly pet Suny’s shoulder, trying to wake him up. However, the tiny skeleton kept snuggling into the heat, refusing to wake. “Come on, Suny, wake up. It's morning.”

 

“Noooo... warm...” came the muffled answer from Suny. 

 

Sans and Papyrus both giggled at that.

 

Grillby decided to rescue his cousin before the children got the idea to start playing right where they are. “Good morning,” he greeted them with a smile. “What an interesting place to find all of you.”

 

Six little heads turned towards him. Pyru and Parz looked as though they thought they were in trouble while Suny just smiled at him and mumbled “warm” informatively.

 

Grillby chuckled. “Well, it's good to hear that all of you had a good night,” he said gently as to not wake Fellby. “Any particular reason you wanted to sleep down here with Fellby?”

 

“Uh... we wanted to?” mumbled Pyru nervously.

 

“Fellby needs hugs sometimes,” stated Sans seriously.

 

“Yes! We wanted to give him hugs!”, chirped Papyrus, wrapping his arms around Fellby's middle and hugging him.

 

Suny nodded. “And we wanted to hear him- ”

 

Parz choose this moment to jump forward and wrapped his hands around Suny's mouth, muffling the smaller skeleton’s speech.

 

Pyru glanced to Parz and Suny before looking awkwardly back up to Grillby. “We... uh... Wanted him to not be alone!” he said hastily, reaching out and patting Suny on the head.

 

“Is that so,” Grillby humed. It was obvious that the children were hiding something, but he wouldn't press to much. They were allowed to have their little secrets so long as long as everything stayed harmless.

 

“Yeah... and we... kinda fell asleep,” mumbled Sans.  
Saz nodded in confirmation.

 

“Ah I see,” stated Grillby chuckling. “It's almost time for breakfast. Maybe we should wake Fellby up together, huh?”

 

“Yeah... Uh... Uncle Fellby?” asked Pyru, gently poking him in the arm while the other children moved off of Fellby, freeing him. Sans poked him gently in the stomach. 

 

Fellby let out a tired grunt, swatting at the hands that were poking him and turned around. “Go 'way.”

 

“Uncle Fellby, wake up,” cried Papyrus. “It's morning!”

 

Only muttering answered him.

 

“Wait! I have an idea!” stated Pyru. “Uh... stay back...”

 

Grillby looked on with interest how the other children moved a bit backwards while Pyru got on his knees upon the couch, looking over Fellby. He extended his index finger and took careful aim and, with one quick movement, he poked Fellby quick and hard in his belly.

 

The effect was hilarious. Fellby yelped loudly in shock, half jumping to a sitting position and covering the spot on his stomach, his eyes comically large and his flames flickering and standing up in all directions. He rather looked like a spooked cat, thought Grillby.

 

There was a second where the children cheered on Pyru for waking Fellby, before Fellby turned to Pyru and glared at him. “You! You little brat!” he hissed, reaching out for Pyru.

 

“I'M SORRY!” Pyru screeched, shifting before taking hold of Suny by his scruff and running away as fast as he could before Fellby could reach him.

 

The result was that Fellby overbalanced and fell from the couch with a loud “thud”. 

 

Sans howled with laughter, having to lean on Saz to not fall over. Even Grillby could not suppress his laughter anymore; this was just too funny. He tried to keep it muffled behind his hand but it proved rather difficult. He half wished that Swabby was awake and taking pictures of this moment.

 

Fellby in the meantime pulled himself up a bit and glared at the staircase where Pyru just disappeared up. “You damn brat,” he muttered before looking towards the other children who were all trying their hardest not to laugh save for Sans, who was still howling. He made a grab for Sans, taking hold of the skeleton before he had the chance to squirm away. “And just what are you laughing at, huh?”

 

Sans continued to giggle, trying to wriggle himself out of Fellby’s grip. “Noooothing!” he pressed out in a false innocence tone before giggling overtook him again. 

 

“No! You're caught now, Sans,” said Saz, who had moved backwards with Papyrus and Parz.

 

“Noooooo!”

 

Grillby in the meantime had calmed down enough to attempt to save Sans from having to face the consequences of laughing at Fellby. “Good morning, Fellby,” he made himself known, smiling at the scene. 

 

“Not now, Grills,” Fellby cut in, still holding onto the squirming Sans. “I have a brat to teach a lesson to.”

 

“Noooooooooo!” giggled Sans.

 

“What is going on in here?” Swabby questioned as he makes his way down the staircase, looking confused. “And why were Pyru and Suny just running up the stairs?”

 

Fellby held Sans to his chest, finally holding him still enough with one arm to have the other free and was quick to give the boy a noogie. “Stay out of this, Swabby!” he shouted without looking up, a grin on his face.

 

“Nooooo! Don't noogie the skeleton! Nooo!” screeched Sans, laughing but still squirming. “Papyrus, help!”

 

Papyrus just giggled and clapped his hands together while Saz was giggling and Parz smirking at the scene. 

 

Grillby chuckled and shook his head. Yeah, looks like he was not needed here. “I'll go and make breakfast,” he informed Swabby, petting him once on the shoulder before leaving the room.

 

Swabby looked at Fellby and the children, chuckling at the display. “Did they all slept here this night?” he questioned.

 

However, Fellby ignored him and continued to noogie Sans, who was still shrieking of laughter, mercilessly.

Papyrus was so amused by his  brother’s distress that he squealed out of joy.

 

“Aww, it sounds like they're having fun,” came Suny’s voice from the top of the stairs where they, Pyru still in his canine form with Suny still in his humanoid from riding on his back as though he were a horse instead of a dog, overlooked the scene. Suny looked down at Pyru with pleading eyes. “Can't we go play too?”

 

P yru watched the scene in front of them before coming a bit nearer so that he and Suny could see better what was happening.

 

“Mercy! Stooooooooop!”

 

“Awww, but the other one got away and you were so close...”

 

“Noooo! Mercy!” whined Sans, still giggling and laughing. “Mercy! Spare meeeee!”

 

Saz was still giggling at the scene, but seemed to take pity on his brother. Making a decision, he walked up to Fellby and Sans with a look of a general about to go into war.

 

Fellby did not even notice the small skeleton until he poked him in his now unprotected tummy himself. Fellby gave a strange squeal sound again, but did not let go of Sans. Instead, he made a grab for Saz too, capturing him and holing both squirming boys against him. “I have you now!” he proclaimed. Though sadly he lost his ability to noogie Sans now that both his hands were used to hold the two boys but that didn't seem to phase him.

 

Sans continued to laugh.

 

Saz looked over to Pyru and Suny, grinning slightly. “NOW BROTHERS!” he screamed and, to Sans' great surprise, Pyru leaped on Fellby with Suny, quickly transformed back and began to tickle his uncle together with an very excited Suny.

Parz seemed to hesitate but Papyrus quickly jumped into the tickle-assault on Fellby.

 

Fellby was now outnumbered and outclassed under the assault. He began laughing, hard and helpless, and his hold on Sans and Saz started slipping. He tried to shove off the children but there were too many. That and he didn't want to accidentally hurt them, but DAMN. He could not stop them and there were tears forming in his eyes from laughing so hard. 

 

And Swabby just stood there, laughing nearly as much as Fellby. This was just too great! This was perfect! This was simply the best blackmail material he had ever seen and it was great! 

  
“What is going on now?” asked Grillby coming back from the kitchen, surely summoned by the uncontrolled laughter of Fellby and the children. 

 

“ATTACK ON FELLBY!” screamed Pyru laughing, continuing to tickle Fellby, who was just trying to defend and cover himself but there was no use against this many children. Fellby was just helplessly laughing, even wheezing a bit, his flames bright and frizzling at the edges.

 

Grillby and Swabby shared a look, both of them nodding in silent agreement. With bold steps, they walked up to the couch together.

 

Grillby picked up Papyrus and Suny, holding both of them close to himself despite their struggling. “I think somebody needs assistance,” he said, smiling softly. 

 

Swabby picked up Sans and Saz. “The rescue squad is here!” he proclaimed, giggling. “We have the little skele-children now!”

 

“On nooooo!” cried Sans but continued to laugh, looking down to Pyru, the only one left sitting on Fellby.

 

Fellby, who just calmed down from the tickle attack, looked at Pyru and grinned. A grin that moved quickly into evil laughter. “Oh yes... Thanks, you two,” he said, looming over Pyru. “Now, what to do with you, huh?” he questioned, wrapping his arms around the boy before he could even think about escaping.

 

Pyru stared at him and made a meek sounding “M...Mercy?” while struggling a bit. 

 

“Nooo! Our brother was captured!” Saz cried out while he and Sans tried to get out of Swabby’s hold.

 

“Nope, you stay here,” chuckled Swabby, keeping his hold on the two of them. “You two are captured too!”

 

“Grillby, help!”

 

“I'm sorry, Pyru,” chuckled Grillby. “But this is on you.”

 

“That's right, you two stay out of this,” Fellby hissed before chuckling darkly. “This is my payback time!” he proclaimed and started tickling Pyru.

 

Soon the little boy struggled and squealed with laugher. “NOOOO! Hahahahahaha! S...STOP!” he laughs and shrieks, trying to get away. He even tried shifting and back, but nothing helps against Fellby’s tickling. “MERCY!”

 

“Not for you, you little ankle-biter!” chucklesd Fellby, continuing his attack. “First I want to hear an apology!”

 

“I'M SORRY!” shrieked Pyru with laughter. “I'M SORRY!” 

 

“Hmmm... I think you can do better...”

 

“NOOO! PLEASE UNCLE FELLBY!” he shrieked, tears of laughter forming in his eyes. 

 

“So, you learned your lesson about poking people and being a little brat, huh?”

 

“I'M SORRY!”

 

Fellby finally chuckled and stopped tickling, still holding the panting boy in his arms. Pyru was still giggling a bit but Fellby just waited for him to cool down, gently patting him on the head. 

 

After a few minutes, he seemed to register things around him again and flushed slightly purple. “Uh...” Fellby looked to Grillby. “What about breakfast, Grills? I hope there’s coffee.”

 

“Yes, there is,” chuckled Grillby. “Come on, children, breakfast is getting cold.”

 

This day many photos made their way into Swabby’s blackmail stash.

Fellby puzzled for weeks how that was possible without him ever  even seeing a camera. 

 

\--

 

It was a few days later when the next phone call came. The blizzard season was in full swing but today was a bit clearer, very cold, but no snow had fallen just yet. Swabby now could not leave the house at all and Fellby seemed eager to leave again, but at the same time refused to do so, staying as far away from the windows as he possibly could. 

 

To be honest, they all were a bit stir crazy.

 

Therefore, it was a bit of a surprise when Fellby joined Swabby and Grillby this day on the couch, flopping down beside Grillby who just brought Swabby a blanket against the chill the yellow flame had all day long. “Grills, the guards called you about lab didn't they?” he questioned.

 

Grillby blinked. It was the first time Fellby talked about the laboratory at all since the first day they were there. “Yes, they did. They... said that they took everything that was there... the investigation is now finished.”

 

Fellby stayed silent for a long moment, before looking Grillby directly in the eyes. “I wanna burn this thing down.”

 

“I want to do that too,” Grillby replied without even think about it, a dark desire from deep of his soul, his magic, his justice and his LOVE talking for him. 

 

“Then let's do it,” declared Fellby, sitting up straight. “Today! It's not snowing. We could move quickly! Go there with the... urgh... Riverperson. We could be in and out before anyone notices and burn this shit down forever.” He held his hand out to Grillby, eyes still locked upon him. “The two of us, in and out, and be done with this. What do you say?”

 

Grillby stared at the hand. There was a moment of silence between them as his mind tries fighting off the words whispered from his LOVE. 

 

Grillby finally took Fellby’s hand firmly, not so much shaking as holding on.

 

\--

 

The trip was quick indeed and soon they were standing in the lab again.

It was completely empty now. Every tape was taken and every scrap of paper was collected by the guards. Grillby double-checked every corner just to make sure that there was nothing hiding away in the darkness. But the laboratory truly was just the empty husk of the prison that held his dear children. 

 

“Let's do this shit!” proclaimed Fellby, laying his hand against the wall and concentrated. His flames changed from blue to purple to violet in a matter of seconds, the material under his hand beginning to sizzle and glow as it began to melt. He smiled while doing so.

 

Grillby took a deep breath. His flames turned blue as he walked to the cell that held one pair of children. The rage inside him fueled his flames. The wall in front of him began to heat up and caught fire without him so much as touching it. 

 

“That's it, Grills! Don't hold back, this shit here has to go down!” Fellby shouted out before punching one of the walls. “Fucking bastard!”

 

Grillby had flashes of screams and tear stricken children in front of his eyes; his flames burned hotter. A single lava ball formed in front of him and smashed through another wall. He felt his flames sing in response. Fellby was right: If he could not get to this Gaster, then he would take it out on his damn laboratory!

 

Things blurred a bit after that.

 

Grillby could hear a faint laughter and the blazing of an inferno.

It took a while to notice that the laughter came from him self. 

But it felt GOOD. So good to let go and just BURN.

 

He barely noticed Fellby. His cousin burned purple, shining bright and free. His eyes glowing a blinding white, his sunglasses unseen and his mouth open in a sadistic, twisted grin of joy as he busted through the wall that once held the tapes and chairs Pyru had been restrained in. Grillby could feel the LOVE of the other monster. It was TINY compared to his own but it is of kin; motivated by the same desire. 

 

He heard the laughter of the other flame elemental and knew that he to was feeling the same sweet call of LOVE.

And they laughed together.

Laughter close to insanity.

The laughter of victory.

It was the  laugh of being alive despite everything… 

 

All the humans, all the water, all the cruel intentions, all of the terrible things in each of their pasts and the past of the people they loved ,could not prevent them from living, from burning, from keeping on with their lives and being okay… finding happiness.

Finding love, not LOVE. 

 

Grillby laughed at the powers that be. At everything that wanted to crush him. Because he would fight back and NOTHING could bring him down.

 

Of course, they could not keep at it forever. Their laughter ended at some point and without knowing exactly how it happened, they were standing before the blaze.

Grillby made sure that the fire would not spread to other buildings or reach the core once he had control over his mind. He was still a bit surprised that nobody came to stop them. 

 

They watched in silence as the laboratory burned to the ground, making their way home when the last flame died out.

 

\-- 

 

It had begun to snow again when they arrived back in Snowdin and they hurried inside, finding Swabby sitting on the couch, wrapped in blankets, asleep. He had most likely waited up for them.

 

Grillby and Fellby both flopped down on the couch, sandwiching Swabby between them.

Swabby woke up when he felt their warmth and blinked several times before his eye focused on them. “So...” 

 

Fellby let off a soft sound, not quite a sigh. “So…”

 

“You came back,” Swabby pointed out. “I thought you wanted to go to Hotland.”

 

“Eh the couch here is better than were I normally sleep,” Fellby shrugged. 

 

Grillby chuckled. “I didn't know my couch was such a high quality.” 

 

“Yeah... uh... whatever,” Fellby mumbled.

Swabby shivered again against a chill.

Grillby leaned against the yellow flame to warm him a bit and was somewhat surprised to see Fellby doing the same. 

 

“Everything went well I take it,” Swabby questioned.

 

“Yes,” Grillby replied. “Very... well.”

 

There was a stretch of silence.

 

“So... you are in this for the long run?” Swabby inquired, looking towards Fellby.

  
“Are you?”  Fellby returned, not looking at either of the flames. 

 

“Yeah. You didn't answer the question.”

 

For a moment it did not seem as though Fellby would answer at all, but then he leaned heavily upon Swabby’s shoulder. “I could be too,” he mumbled, dragging out a yawn. “Just for the couch, of course.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this we'll finally are finished with the Dark Past chapters! Whooo! Seriously, we thought all this would be maybe 20 pages? AHAHAHAHAH NO! X.X  
> Anyway, next chapter will be at an other point of time again. 
> 
> ANYWAY: This fic got fanart! We both are so happy about this!
> 
> By ashadowcalleedkei:
> 
> All six adorable puppies: http://ashadowcalledkei.tumblr.com/post/137596030521/its-the-itty-bitty-blaster-committee-the-entire
> 
> By Nodiel-1971:  
> The three flames: http://nodiel-1971.tumblr.com/post/138904652907/trioblastersets-au-updated-the-other-day-have-a
> 
> And poor little Fellby during his "stay" with the humans: http://nodiel-1971.tumblr.com/post/139213404502/chucks-proper-fanart-antarestyl-and
> 
> AND ALL OF THEM ARE SO BEAUTIFUL! <3
> 
> Besides that, we want to encourage you to send us asks on out tumblrs if you want to chat with us or get to know stuff. If things get to spoiler-y, we'll tell you. Otherwise, we'll be happy to answer questions about the AU and characters. ^^
> 
> Thanks to everybody supporting this AU, you make us both very, very happy. ^^ Until next time!


	10. You hate to be bored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara hates to be bored. Unfortunatly, Grillby is the biggest bore if you dare to try an Genocide run. 
> 
> Or: Charas Genocide Run in Summary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter wasn't planned but... somehow it got here. XD This is what happens during a usual genocide run in our AU. Have fun with that.

 

 

It took only one hit and the skeleton went down.

You laugh in satisfaction when Sans' eyes widen, showing surprise and a trace of pain. Finally, FINALLY this jerk gets a taste his own medicine!

His hand flies to his ribcage where you have struck him, red seeping out from under his boney fingers.

 

Huh, so he does bleed similarly to two of the other skeletons though their blood had been… different. It is a bit strange, you think. He was the sixth skeleton you fought and yet only three of them were bleeding. Well, whatever, he was history. Moreover, he had made this run quite a pain in the ass for you. 

 

“W... welp... I'm going... home... to Grillby's...” he mutters as you roll your eyes. Could this guy finally die so you could gain some EXP and move on? Jeez. 

 

This whole run seemed to be buggy.

First thing, there were a lot more monster here than ever. You easily had gained a LOVE of 59 by now. And as mentioned, there were six skeletons now instead of the usual two…

 

The first one was a rather small one with bright blue, starry eyes. He was rather pathetic, not even a sentry. You killed him with one hit.

A rather strong looking skeleton came after this one, looking a lot like Papyrus but with cracks and edges all over him. He was quite a challenge at your low level and actually used that insane bridge trap on you. You were forced to reload a few times before you were able to take him down.

 

You left them behind and made your way to Snowdin. However, just before you were able to enter the town, another Papyrus appeared, talking about how you murdered his brothers, how he’d stop you and yadda yadda. It didn’t matter. But darn, you were glad that you leveled up on the way to him. He was one tricky fighter and he just  **did not give up** ! Somehow, he kept fighting on even when his HP was brought down to zero. 

 

Seriously, these skeletons were cheaters! All of them!

 

It took some time and many reloads, but you finally overcame him, leaving him to cry out for somebody you didn’t really care for, before turning to dust.

To your annoyance, he managed to have stalled you long enough for Snowdin to be a ghost town, there was hardly anyone left…

When you walked past Grillby's bar, the doors flew open and there stood yet another skeleton! This one was looking scared but glaring at you with blood red eyes. He spoke something into a phone as you started the battle; however, you destroyed the device with a swift swing during your first turn. No annoying phone calls during a fight!

 

This damn skeleton was a cheater too, attacking you even when it was your turn. Similar to the last skeleton, he held on even as his body turned to dust, keeping you down with blue magic while Grillby ran from his bar, herding a whole group of monsters, all of YOUR precious EXP out of the village. You tried to follow them, but by the time the little red skeleton FINALLY died, giving you some nice EXP but not nearly enough, they were already gone with the Riverperson's boat.

 

Papyrus was standing in your way by the entrance to Waterfall and, like always, tried to tell you something about being a better person. Yeah, right, you were right better when he gave you some more EXP, pushing you up to a LOVE of 15.

 

Undyne fell easily after that, allowing herself to get harmed before the battle even begun.  
You practically breezed through the Underground after that. You even managed to find and sink the Riverperson’s boat near the end of Waterfall, killing the monsters that were on it, including Grillby and another yellow flame. Sweet, sweet EXP and LOVE, all for you! Even if you are still a bit disappointed that you could not fight the monsters head-on.

Oh well.

 

You left Waterfall behind , making your way through the Underground. You killed a robot and a stupid little lizard, as well as several other nameless minor monsters that nobody cared about. They are just mobs after all.

As you approached the center of the city , there was a blue flame. He was pretty funny. Pissed and ranting about how you killed his family or something. He provided a fair share of entertainment. He was strong, all things considered, but it did not take you long to kill him with his anger clouding his judgments.

 

Heh, flames. What a joke.

 

After that, it was business as usual.

You fought Sans who as just as difficult and malicious as ever, but soon the way was clear and you could see your freedom ahead. Only King Asgore and that little wimp Flowey to go and you could leave, get out of this hellhole.

 

You almost made it out of the golden hall when something different happened.  
Something you had not expected.

 

A magical attack, made out of fire and lava, hits the door just in front of you, engulfing it in flames. It had nearly hit you! You whirl around, annoyed at whatever did not play by the rules, attacking you without warning.

And are surprised when you saw your attacker.

It was Grillby but not like you ever seen him before.

Hi s flames were flickering wildly and there were patches on his body that looked less like flame and more like molten lava. His clothes were dirty and torn, and his now cracked glassed barely rested upon his face. His hands were balled into fist and his face was contorted in an angry snarl, stark white eyes glaring hatefully at you.

 

Saying he looks pissed barely covered it.

Well, you never had the pleasure to fi ght him. Maybe it would be fun. You draw your knife and grin. 

  
“I finally found you,” hisses Grillby, his voice sounding like hot steam being released from a pipe. “You thought you could just get away after killing my family? My sons? Swabby? Fellby?”

 

You laugh a bit when he sends some fireballs in your direction. They were easy to dodge; child’s play. And really? The blue flame and skeletons were what set him off? You tell him that you killed Fellby but have no idea who Swabby was. 

 

“You sank the ship!” he hisses. “They all died, you miserable excuse for a life!”

 

Ah, the yellow flame! Heh, he surely went out like a light... Though you wonder why Grillby hadn't died. You ask aloud, because really, he was made of fire, he should have gone out.

 

“The war gave me more than just nightmares and regrets, human,” hisses Grillby, his flames slowly heating up. “I made a vow to never fight again. However, you killed my family… My friends. You killed all the reasons for me to hold back.” His form is flickering. He is growing, his flames showing the whole spectrum of fire. Yellow, green, orange, red, blue, indigo, violet. His glasses break completely and melt under the heat. The monster, the demonic entity that was Grillby opened it's mouth, teeth like molten lava showing and a voice like a forest fire. “I'll show you why I was feared by the humans as the hells inferno!”

 

At first, you laughed. Finally something new! Finally a new boss, a new fight, something exciting! Moreover, Grillby was strong and quick, his attacks were brutal!

You needed one hundred and fifty reloads to get his first five attacks right. Two hundred more to get to his tenth attack. By the time you finally managed to survive to his fifteenth attack, you started to wonder how long this was going to go on.

Other than Sans, Grillby  did not speak. He also did not tire. He just kept attacking you; the difficulty not being in how unpredictable the attacks were unlike with Sans but in how fast and strong each attack came at you. With Sans, one hit would just take one HP at a time; Grillby on the other hand… one hit and you were dead.

 

At reload six hundred and ninety three, you were growing frustrated.

At seven hundred and forty two, you were asking yourself if you made a mistake…

One thousand two hundred and thirty two reloads later and still no sign of getting past this flame.

 

You kept attacking him yet he does not dodge, taking the damage. You could clearly see that your knife connected with all the killing intend you could muster and it did hurt him but he just shrugged off the damage and kept attacking. 

 

You soon realize that this was not a battle of strength and speed but one of endurance and determination.

 

In addition, Grillby did not remember like Sans or the one who called himself Pyru… At the beginning of the fight, you both are physically rested as much as possible given the situation. Nevertheless, mentally, Grillby simply reset. You do not. You remember. Moreover, you feel the frustration taking its toll on you. 

 

Reload one thousand five hundred and sixty two . You are ready to scream. WHY DID THIS FLAME JUST NOT DIE?

 

You made it to attack number twenty when Grillby finally spoke. “I won't let you win, human,” he hisses. “For my sons, my friends, my family, Fellby and Swabby... I will not let you through. I will fight to my last HP with you. And I have a LOT of HP.”

 

You attack again. You took some HP off yet he just kept coming at you like it was nothing .

 

“Why won't you just DIE ALREADY?” you scream in frustration. “WHAT IS THE TRICK? HOW CAN I BEAT YOU?”

 

Lava surrounds you suddenly. You cannot move. Your HP drops to one and Grillby is suddenly standing in front of you, glaring down at you.

 

“There is no trick,” he stats. “No trick, no shortcut, no chance of winning. I will not let you get away, human. I might only know little about souls and determination... but you CAN turn back time, can't you?”

 

You hisses and struggles, but nothing happened. “FUCK YOU!”

 

“You can make the world go back, can't you?” asks Grillby, ignoring your outburst. “You can make it as if all of this never happened. You can bring all of them back.” He is standing directly before you and only now you notices that he was very tall and burning very hot, the air around him flared and it became hard to breath. 

 

“What do you want?” you spat.

 

“Bring them back,” Grillby demands of you. He came very close and you choked on the hot air; to hot to breathe, to hot to think properly. “You use your powers and get them back to me. You get back my children and all the other monsters. You bring back Swabby and Fellby. You bring all my loved ones back. You took them all from me and I want them BACK!”

 

There was a flash of heat, light and pain then suddenly you are in the darkness, two familiar orange tinted buttons glowing brilliantly in front of you. 

 

You could just LOAD again and again, try to see if there was a way to win the fight or possibly a way to avoid it entirely… You could try to find some sort of item but you were sure you did everything there was to do.

 

You look over to the RESET button.

Heh... You wonder where Grillby got the knowledg e of your ability. Did Sans say something to him? Maybe... who knows?

You ponder about your options for a while.

 

It was a risk, doing the Reset…

Who knows if Frisk would let you control them again... you never did reach the end, you never got their soul fully, you had to hope that Frisk would kill enough to summon you each time they reset … 

 

On the other hand, it’s not fun being killed by Grillby over and over.

 

You push the RESET button.

Dying is boring.

And you HATE being bored.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was that. XD Well, that is as far as EVERY genocide run will ever go. Grillby is an impossible boss in the end.   
> Next time, we'll look at Fellbys and Swabbys first days at Grillby's. The First Impression series will finally get its second and third chapter. ^^ Stay tuned.
> 
> BUT as long as you are here: WE GOT MORE FANART! You don't know how HAPPY we are about these. ^^
> 
> By pippa-frost (http://pippa-frost.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Sans overdid it with puns:  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141928010976/pippa-frost-why-is-sans-back-in-the-corner
> 
> Muffets crush on Fellby  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141927564476/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-bonus-i
> 
> AMAZING flames in pain (plus chara)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141887600866/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-a-what-if-based
> 
> Lil Saz sleeping  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141887445041/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-little-saz-after
> 
> Swabby's death during one of the genocide runs (chapter 2)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141826444101/pippa-frost-scene-from-trioblasterset-au
> 
> Sans hiding the terrible goop under ketchup (A dark past part 3)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141826115736/pippa-frost-scene-from-trioblasterset-au
> 
> Pyru colouring and listening to music  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141825948411/pippa-frost-pyru-from-trioblasterset-au
> 
> The flames, their kids and what they say to them  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141709313851/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-so-i-made-these
> 
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/141769496366/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-okay-so
> 
> (I hope I got everything ^^)
> 
> We want to thank you all so much for this! ^^ Welp, that's it for now. But stay tuned for the next chapters. ^^


	11. First Impressions: The Hope of the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, we know how the kids first met Grillby... but what happened after he took them in his home? Well, Grillby got a nightly visitor of course.
> 
> And this visitor will bring hope to two very hopeless little skeletons.
> 
> ((Warning: Mentions of... well, things that happened to the skeletons. And some of Grillby's war-memories... If you red "A dark Past", you know what to expect.))

Grillby lived a very long life before the skeletons came into it. The memories of his early childhood were understandably fuzzy at this point. The war did a lot to his mind... many fights still were just a blur of heat and flame, filled with mad laughter. Grillby tries very hard not to think about it. 

 

He had not had the best contact with his family before the war... His favorite aunt and uncle moved away when he still was a child, taking away his cousin and only real friend at the time. A fight in the family isolated his family from the others aside from very tense family reunions, but still, he loved them.

 

His parents were both dead by the end of the war and he lost most of his close friends during the many battles.

 

He met his sister once they were in the Underground. He knew he had one; however, she was an adult and had long since moved out of the village by the time his soul was formed. Flame elementals tended to live long lives and very seldom have children so it was not unusual to have relatively large age-gaps between siblings.

 

During the war, he learned about HOPE. Hope was not all that made up HP, but it had a great influence on it. Grillby saw monsters getting hurt and turning to dust, he saw them losing their HP on the battlefield and witness them fall down later, after the fight, because they lost all HOPE in face of the terrible determination of the humans, overwhelmed by their strong souls. 

 

He remembers a healer, a plant elemental who resembled a tree. His name was Sylvan and he was very gentle though wary of Grillby at first seeing as how plant elementals and fire elementals normally did not mix within monster society, but they became quick friends, Grillby being drawn to his dry humor and wit. They helped one another on the battlefield together with a skeleton named Gautami, who often spoke of her sweetheart at home whom she wanted to keep safe, and a slightly older turtle monster dubbed Gerson the Hammer, whom was an adventurer at heart and told the best stories in the evenings when they sat together and warmed up around Grillby's fire.

 

Sylvan and Grillby grew  quite close during the year they spent on the battlefield. Grillby would share long nights with him where they shook and mourned the lost lives of friends and fellow monsters. The healer told Grillby of what he had endured within his life, deepest secrets and tragedies as well as plans for his future. In turn, Grillby told him his own.

 

However, Sylvan died in an ambush  near the end of the war. Almost everybody in Grillby's Unit, dear friends and others he barely knew, died this day. He remembers holding Sylvan in his arms as he turned to dust; his gentle voice telling him to keep himself safe and wishing him luck in his future before fading completely. That is when Grillby let himself be consumed by his LOVE, by pure rage and insane laughter. When he came to himself again he was naked and almost burned out with a LOVE almost doubled his already enormous amount, sitting in a crater of molten stone with nothing but ash all around him. His body was shaking violently and tears fell freely from his eyes though, other than exhaustion, he felt empty inside.

 

He never found Sylvan’s dust… most likely it had burned up in the heat of Grillby’s rampage. That thought alone left Grillby feeling even more cold. Sometimes he could not help but to wonder what Sylvan would have wanted in his death, they never talked about such things…

 

Gautami found him days later and brought him to safety, talking to him in a gentle voice and tending to his wounds to her best ability. She seemed to have put together what had happened from what little he spoke and the condition she had found him in, yet she never brought it up in conversation.  
  
She was badly damaged in another battle, weeks later, returning with cracked bones and burned out magic, barely able to sustain herself. He knew she was quickly losing HOPE yet she managed to survive the war though he had heard that she fell down not long after they were locked away underground... Grillby often wondered if she had any offspring but lacked to courage to seek out the mate she had spoken so fondly about.

 

Soon only Gerson was left of his friends and, as much as Grillby liked him, it hurt to look at him sometimes especially since the turtle had a bad habit of bringing up the past and their fallen comrades.

 

He saw so many more lose hope once the war ended. The underground was dark and cold outside of the lava pits. It was a terrible age and Grillby was thankful that time dulled his memories of the first hundred or so years of his life. Even most of his memories of the war became faded and muddled, only returning vivid and sharp in his nightmares. 

 

Nevertheless, he never forgot how important hope is for a monster. 

 

When he took in the children, it looked like there was not much hope left.

The littlest ones, Suny and Papyrus, seemed well enou gh. They were well cared for, kept warm with actual clothes and it was apparent that they were given a good deal of the food the two oldest boys acquired before coming to him. 

The child who first approached him, Sans, was shaken and scared. He looked so tired yet refused to sleep for fear that someone or something would try to harm his siblings. He held on with an iron will.

Seemingly the second oldest, whom Sans referred to as Pyru, was a nervous mess and hovered around the two injured children like a buzzard over road kill. It took a lot of coaxing but the boy finally told Grillby that their names were Saz and Parz. And he, like Sans before, begged Grillby to help them regardless of what he had to do in order to receive the asked for help.

Both Saz and Parz looked more... edgy than their brothers. Their teeth were more fanglike and their little fingers ended in claws, half dulled from use and improper care. Both children had multiple cracks, scratches and nicks all over their tiny bones making them look flimsy and fragile, so much so that Grillby barely dared to touch them for fear of harming them further. Parz himself had a rather nasty crack over the left side of his skull, particularly over his left eye socket which red magic seeped out of despite his state of consciousness. They had been clumsily bandaged with scraps of old cloth and wrappers, seemingly anything the others could get their hands on… Neither child moved during their transport out of the forest to Grillby’s home and what frightened him the most was that their breath was coming out ragged and weak. Grillby could not sense HP but even a fool could see that these two had next to no hope left in their tiny frames.

 

There was not much he could do in the long run other than giving them a warm place to sleep and some food, maybe buying some proper clothing for them if they choose to stay.

Sitting down in the kitchen, he thought over the evening’s events and about what to do. What was he thinking taking these children in? He was no caretaker! He had only ever done two things in his life: kill humans and make burgers. Either way, they came to him begging for help, looking so hurt and lost, hopeful and hopeless at the same time... 

 

In addition, Sans called him “angel”.

 

The texts he sent to his older sister and Swabby were born out of panic. His sister had a child herself and knew proper childcare whereas Swabby managed a family restaurant in the Capitol and served high quality food with outstanding healing properties... and hadn’t Swabby written him once about babysitting kids in Hotland?

If he was completely honest with himself, the reason he contacted Swabby was because he was the only flame besides his sister in which he had a regular contact with. 

 

There was a loud, banging knock against his door, dragging Grillby out of his thoughts.

He looked at the clock. It was late at night, who could this  possibly be? His sister had not even answered his text and he knew that Swabby would need at least a day to prepare for the trip... and most of the monsters living within Snowdin were well asleep by this time.

 

He stood, straightening his attire as he made his way to the door and hurried to open the door, trying to reach it before the loud banging woke the children.

 

In front of him, huddled in a thick  black coat that was a bit too big, stood a blue burning and very disgruntled looking flame. Despite the darkness, he was wearing dark sunglasses, his bright eyes barely visible behind them.

 

“Alright, whose heads do I need to bash in?” the blue flame barked, still holding the jacket closed around his body. “And can you move the fuck aside? I'm freezing here! Ugh, why are you even living in this fucking ice box, I mean honestly.”

 

“Fellby?” Grillby questioned, his voice finally deciding to work again.

 

“No, fucking King Asgore, who the hell do you think I am?” hissed Fellby. “Let me in already!”

 

Grillby blinked but stepped to the side, finally letting Fellby in. He then led him to the living room as quickly and quietly as possible, trying his best not to make too much noise and awaken the children.

Fellby just flopped down on the couch and reached inside his pocket, getting out a cigarette. He touched the tip of his finger to the end, lighting it up and took a long drag causing Grillby to frown. “So, Grillby,” he began. “Who is it you want me to dust?” He did a quick look over him. “Or do I need to dispose of some dust?” he questioned, letting out a half chuckle. “That’s fine, I know a couple of places the guards won’t think of checking.”

 

“…nobodies,” answered Grillby, still frowning. “Why do you think I would want you to kill someone?”

 

“Why else would you call for me?” inquired Fellby taking another drag of his cigarette, blowing to smoke in Grillby’s general direction.

 

“I didn't call for you,” objected Grillby, frowning deeply at the smoke. 

 

“I got a text from you stating that you needed help,” Fellby contests, waving his objection away. “So get on with it cause I got other shit I need to do.”

 

Grillby shakes his head. “I’m telling you, I did not call for-“

 

“Grillby?” a tiny voice came from behind them.

Grillby  whirled around and saw the little skeleton child standing at the bottom of the stairs, still wearing one of Grillby’s undershirts and looking at them with a mixture of fear and put-on bravery. “Sans!” He got up and walked to the boy, crouching down to his height. “What are you doing out of bed?” he asked worried. 

 

“There was noise,” mumbled Sans, looking away from the bartender. “I… wanted to make sure...” His eyes traveled to Fellby. “Who is that?” Sans questioned. “Is... is he gonna take us away?” There was fear quite clearly in the tiny voice and his little bones were shaking. 

 

“No, he won’t,” Grillby replied gently, trying to calm down the little child. “He is… family of mine. He just... visits.”

 

Fellby snorts from behind him, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“I'll deal with him. You just go up with the others and get some rest, alright? I promise you, nothing will harm you here.” It broke his heart seeing that Sans wasn't entirely convinced.

But the little skeleton nodded. “Alright,” he mumbled. 

 

“I'll come up in a bit,” whispered Grillby. “Don't worry. You are safe.”

 

Sans nodded again and walked back up the stairs, disappearing in the darkness.

 

Gr illby sighed deeply and turned to his cousin.

 

Fellby looked at him with a very thoughtful expression, his eyes hidden behind the thick sunglasses. “You know,” he starts, eyes darting towards the top of the staircase. “I don't do the whole child trafficking thing.”

 

“WHAT?” he shouted, eyes wide and flames flickering, flowing outwards, giving up his humanoid form for a split second before returning to his usual body. “NO! What the... NO!” he sputtered, taking a bit to calm down enough to actually form a sentence. “How could you even... No, Fellby!”

 

“Well, what the fuck then?” he snarled though his shoulders relaxed a bit.

 

Grillby really, really hoped that Fellby had just tried to get a rise out of him. “The children are the reason I called for help,” he admits. “But I called my sister and Swabby for that...” 

 

“Well, you got me,” he states nonchalantly, leaning forward a bit. “What do you mean by ‘kids’? There more than one of ‘em?” With this, Fellby glances back to the top of the stairs. “That was a skeleton... I thought they were all dead.” 

 

Grillby took a deep breath. Well, he would have to explain this mess to Swabby and his sister anyway so why not practice with Fellby?

You could say what you want about his cousin but he would not actively try to hurt the children with the knowledge he gave up… at least Grillby hoped so. Fellby used to have a very kind soul. Grillby wished he knew what had changed the dear friend he once knew so much…

 

“Yes, there is more than one,” he answers after a moments pause. “There are six children total. I have no idea where they are from or what happened to them. I just know that they are hurt and frightened so I’m not going to turn them away.”

 

Fellby gives a snort. “So, what? You take the brats in? Bleeding heart much, huh?”

 

“You do not have to be here,” Grillby hissed with barely contained anger. This was going bad; he was to stressed, to angry, his LOVE trembling at the edge of his consciousness. The smoke in the air did not really help to calm his temper either. 

 

“Sounds to me as if the kids ran away from home,” stated Fellby, ignoring what Grillby said and took another long drag from his cigarette. “Isn't the responsible thing to do is take them back?”

 

“What kind of home engraves serial numbers in the bones of innocent children?” Grillby snaps back.

He had seen the symbols when he changed the children’s bandages and cleaned them up; little letters and numbers on humerus or femur bones. Sans' and Papyrus' looked as though they were almost natural, as if the bone was grown that way. The markings of the other children, however, appeared to be carvings painfully etched into the bone.

“Look, wherever they came from? It was not a home. These kids...” he begun, voice getting quiet as he shook his head. What was he doing? Fellby would not care; he would not be involved in all this… His cousin was a criminal now, a petty thief. “I really appreciate that you came to my aide,” Grillby stated carefully. “But I don't think this is the sort of thing you want to be involved in. I only ask that you would not tell anyone about them and you can be on your way.”

 

Fellby was silent for a while, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and looking it over, mumbling something to soft for Grillby to hear. After a few seconds, he relaxed again, leaning back and grinning cocky at Grillby. “Leave? I just got here,” he said, taking a long drag from his cigarette. “You wouldn’t throw a flame out in the cold, would you?” he asked in a mock innocent tone. “You, the HERO?”

 

Grillby’s vision went white. H is flames crackled angrily and his hand moved on its own account, snatching the cigarette out of Fellby’s hand and burning it away to nothing, even the smoke cleared up as his heat simply burned through the last remaining particles in the air.

 

“Don't call me hero,” growled Grillby before taking some deep breaths, calming himself down. His flames cooled to their usual orange-red and retreated back into their proper form. Grillby let himself fall back into his seat, sighing deeply. He gave his cousin a glance and a part of him felt satisfaction at the expression on Fellby’s face. 

On the other hand, he DID come to help, didn't he?

“You can stay the night.” 

 

“…good,” Fellby mumbled, leaning forward in his seat once more. “Tell me, what _is_ the deal with these brats?”

 

And for some reason Grillby could not name, he did so.

He told Fellby how he found them, how Sans begged him to help his brothers and led him to the little clearing  within the forest, about the nest made out of rags and twigs. He told him about how hurt they were and how confused they were over the food he gave them. He told him that Sans and Papyrus were names that were given to two of them whereas the others named themselves. He told him about the two children who were very sick and hurt, who had not eaten anything at all... 

 

“I tried everything,” Grillby sighed out, head in his hands. “They barely wake and when they do, they just lay there lifelessly…” 

 

“So, let me get that straight...” Fellby began. “You got six brats here who… been horribly mistreated and on the verge of starvation… Why the fuck did you not get a healer or the guards here?”

 

“...the serial numbers,” answered Grillby, causing Fellby to blink. “They have numbers. Somebody did this to them and from the sound of it, this somebody will try to get them back.”

 

“Shit.”

 

There was a few seconds of silent between them.

Grillby noticed the twitching in Fellby ’s finger. No doubt, he itched for a smoke again but his anger-induced outbreak earlier kept him from it.

 

“So... you got them here. What are you planning to do? Hide them here?” Fellby asked finally.

 

“For now, yes. Swabby will most likely be here by tomorrow and he knows many people. I have hope that he will know a healer whom we can trust not to mention the children.”

 

Fellby frowned.  “I still don't see what you want with the ninny.”

 

“He is a good friend,” Grillby pointed out. “And as I said, he knows a lot of people and I know I can trust him with something like this.”

 

There was silence again, only the ticking of the clock creating noise.

 

After a long moment, Fellby finally spoke up again. “How bad are they?”

 

Grillby hesitated before answering. “Two of them... are falling down.”

 

\--

 

Saz was in pain.

That in itself  was not anything new. As long as he could remember, there was always pain with short pauses in between. Oh, there was a large variety in the quality of pain, but it was always pain. Shocks and burns, sharp and blunt, magical and physical.

Being attacked by his own brother…

 

P2 no  Parz, he was named Parz now, was lying beside him and seemed to sleep. Neither of them had done much else besides that… not since the door that kept them in that dark room was busted open and the hands reached for them. Careful, warm little hands with gentle words that were so, so different from the other set of hands that reached for them normally…

The cold,  scary hands that belonged to a voice that always, always demanded something Saz had not been able to give. A voice that called him a failure and useless… hopeless. 

 

That was exactly how Saz felt since... a very long time.

He thought he could make it right at first.

Be a good brother and protect P2. Get the puzzles right. Get ANYTHING from the man with the scary hands beside pain and disappointed snarls.

It took him a long time  _because he was stupid and slow and could never do anything right_ until he realized that it was no use. There was literally nothing he could ever do.

He let his brother come to harm, he  could not solve the puzzles, and he could not do what was demanded of him.

Yet his… brother? Sans told him about a gentle voice that spoke of angels and hope. 

 

Saz never heard this voice.

Maybe it  only came to people who were not lost causes, people who were not completely useless.

Though P2... Parz... never said he heard the voice but maybe he just did not tell him... Who knows, it was just right that Parz did not trust him. He was a failure after all and usually Parz paid the price for his mistakes. 

 

It was fitting that his brother hated him. Parz deserved the best brother like Sans or Pyru or Papyrus or Suny. They were great; they were strong and healthy and surely would have kept him safe. Unlike him. 

 

It was because of him that Parz was in the condition he is now. It was because of him that Parz' skull was nearly cracked open and he lay here dying…

If not for his brothers, good brothers, who got them out of the dark room and away from the bad man... the man who left them to fall down and turn to dust without remorse... Saz would be dust by now. He would be dust and forgotten and maybe it would have been for the best… then his brothers could focus their attention on saving Parz… 

 

Still , his brothers came for him. He never knew he had other brothers yet here they were. And they were so nice and gentle and it scared Saz, because he messed things up.

L ike his brother.

He was the reason his wonderful little brother was hurt and hateful now. It was his fault that Parz was mutilated so that he barely recognized himself with sharp claws and edges all around his body.

Saz could still hear him crying and screaming over the sound of the instruments. He could still hear metal drilling into bone and his brother’s shrill screams, begging and crying, for help yet there was nothing he could do…

Then the hands would reach for him and the bad man’s voice would tell him that it was his fault; because of his weakness, they both had to be improved and it HURT SO MUCH _!_

All of his brothers were too good for that...

 

T here was no hope that things would change. He wished his brothers would finally see that.

Parz was the only one who did the right thing and gave  up on him. When he was awake, Parz would not speak to him or even look at him.  _It almost hurt more than the cracks in his bones, but it was supposed to be like this._

Nevertheless, the others... they tried so hard. Pyru was the first who held him, carried him and told him to not give up. Sans was the one who got him clothes and told him the tale about the angel who rescued them. Papyrus would tell the story too and would try to feed him sometimes but it hurt too much to eat and move around. Then there was Suny, a little ball of cheer and hope, who gave him and Parz their names, calling them repeatedly by them until they just sort of stuck.

 

And now Sans had lead them to this person. Sans had told them that this person was an angel, a being made out of fire and warmth, a being that would bring them Hope and Light. It was nice but Saz doubted that Grillby was a real angel… He was warm and friendly to them and the things he had done thus far really did seem to help his brothers, but this angel could not give Saz any hope for the future.

Nothing REALLY changed.

 

He had no idea how long he lay on the soft rectangle he was put on by Sans' angel. A quick glance around reveled that Suny and Papyrus were sleeping not too far from them. Sans came and went from time to time and it was impossible to say when Pyru was awake and watching over them or sleeping. 

 

He could see that Parz, at least the faded red glow in his eyes, was looking at him blankly and from that alone Saz wanted to cry but he couldn't anymore.

His mind went fuzzy, his vision  turning black around the edges.

He mu st have fallen asleep. The next time he blinked, Parz was looking away from him and his other brothers were not beside them any more yet he could hear their voices nearby. He could not understand what they were saying but Sans sounded upset.

He could also hear the angel’s voice as well as another voice he could not place. And strangely, Saz did not feel fearful. Even if the new voice was somebody who would send them back, he was not afraid anymore. 

He did not feel anything anymore. 

 

He blinked  again and the world shifted once more. He heard talking, a strained voice as though the user had been crying, then felt warmth around him but it was too much, too heavy. He struggled but could barely move.

Another voice was there suddenly, speaking with a harsh tone but Saz could not make out what was said.

He blinked against the darkness, unable to tell if his eyes were actually opening or not. The warmth surrounding him just moments ago and the tearful voice was not there anymore. Just darkness.

 

Another blink and the warmth was back yet if felt different somehow. Hotter but not overbearing. There was also a light, not the steady orange glow of Sans’ angel but a deep blue in color, barely casting any glow at all.

Weakly, Saz looked up a bit. There, on the bed between him and his brother, sat a flame elemental like  the angel only blue in color and wearing dark clothes.

 

He looked down at  the two of them, his eyes invisible behind his dark glasses. “You two look like shit,” he said finally, his words sounding strange to Saz but, at least, he heard actual words again. 

 

He tried to lift his head but it took too much effort to accomplish even this task . He also noticed movement from Parz, his brother staring at the stranger, eyes glowing weakly and Saz knew his own eye lit up as well.

 

“Heh, but at least you two have spunk in you,” the stranger continued, looking at something in his hands.

It took Saz a moment to identify the object as one of the bottles containing the liquid food that the angel tried to feed them earlier. Parz had refused the food and so to had Saz. He would not eat until his brother did. 

 

“ _P2 won this test so he gets to eat_ _. You should know that food has to be earned here!”_

_  
“S2, you failed therefore P2 has to take your punishment_ _. You really are a terrible brother, aren't you? If only you could have done just a bit better and all this could have been avoided.”_

 

“ _Damn it, S2! Do you WANT to be a failure? Do you want P2 to be punished so badly, huh? I see it like it is, you don't care, do you?”_

 

“ _You are a failure therefore I am forced to enhance the both of you. Maybe then you will perform better.”_

 

“ _S2, fight back!_ _Why aren't you fighting, S2? You never had a problem with letting P2 suffer the consequences of your incompetence. Now I WANT you to fight him and you refuse? You really are a hopeless waste of space.”_

 

Saz shivered at the memory. No, he would not take anything before Parz had not had anything. 

 

“It's a shame you've given up so easily,” the stranger continued, looking both of them over. 

 

Saz was confused. They have not given up... had they? Parz would not have given up; he always gave his all during the tests and challenges! He did everything Saz could not do.

 

Parz let out a low growl.

 

“If you're just going to just lay there and die, then do so quicker,” the stranger said with a harsh tone. “Otherwise quit wasting our time.”

 

Saz stared up at him shocked. He did not want to die! He had not given up, he still... He looked over to Parz who seemed just as shocked and confused as himself. It would be selfish to die now, after all, wouldn't it? After their brothers did so much to rescue them...  _After they did so much to rescue him! He wished they hadn’t, they should not waste anything on him and just focus everything on Parz but... he did not want to die either._

 

The stranger watched both of them, his blue flames flickering against the darkness.

Where was the angel anyway? Where were their brothers? Why was this person here?

 

The fire elemental held one of the bottles out to Saz, looking at him directly. “Not giving up?” he asked. “Wanna show me what you got, brat? All right. Drink up.”

 

Saz blinked at the bottle that was thrust in front of his face. Drink this? But his brother hadn't eaten yet! However... he also did not want to give up. Not yet. He was a terrible brother but if he fell down then he could never be a better brother, right? He carefully took the bottle and looked it over.

 

“Drink,” the stranger ordered again and it reached something deep inside Saz.

 

He clutched the bottle tightly and sipped at the liqui d inside it. It tasted sweet yet salty but not bad. By far better than anything he had at the bad place. Still, he kept looking at Parz and the blue stranger. 

 

Parz was still refusing the liquid food, turning his head away. 

 

“Look, kid, this can go one of two ways: Either you drink it yourself or I make you,” the stranger said his voice hard yet… he did not sound at all like the bad man. “You wanna live? Then you gotta do that.” 

 

Parz’ eyes stayed locked on the stranger yet he refused to even glance in the direction of the bottle or open his mouth.

 

The man let out a heavy sigh.  “Force it is then.” Without another word, the stranger grabbed Parz, holding the weakly trashing child close to himself, immobilizing him with one arm whilst holding the bottle tightly in the other. He looked down at the skeleton in his grasp with grim resolve, reaching around and taking hold of the boy’s skull; it only took a small bit of pressure and Parz opened his mouth wide enough for the top of the bottle to fit into.

 

Parz’ eyes went wide in shock and anger, still struggling and making choking sound before the stranger took the bottle away.

 

That was, what broke Saz from his stupor. “Don't hurt him!” he cried out as loud as he could manage, which was not much. His voice was rough and thin, barely even there and it hurt to speak. Nevertheless, he had to try. This was his little brother and he would do anything to make sure he was never harmed again! “D...don't hurt him! Please,” he pleaded, because he was little and weak and there was no way he’d be able to fight this guy... 

 

The stranger looked at him with mild surprise and interest.

The bottle entered Parz' mouth again and he struggled once more, only weaker this time. A few gulps of the liquid disappeared into his mouth before the choking sound could be heard again and the stranger took the bottle away, letting Parz catch his breath.

 

Saz felt tears b uilding up, but he did not care. “Please... he's my brother. Don't hurt him. I'll do anything… I won't struggle, I will do anything… Please don't hurt him!”

 

“Shut up, brat,” the stranger grumbled, still holding Parz close to his chest as he glanced over to Saz.

Saz was trembling in fear , on the verge of tears.

The Stranger gave pause. “Shit...  come on, kid. Don't... don't cry,” he said, his voice wavering for the first time. “Fuck… I'm not hurting him, okay? I just gotta get him to eat. And you should too.”

 

“You're hurting him,” Saz kept protesting, eyes moving wildly between his brother’s and the stranger’s face, his whole body trembling. “Please... please don't. Please don't!” Saz could feel his bones protesting; old cracks and injuries he got just before their new brothers rescued them screaming out against the movement, against speaking, against everything.

 

Suddenly, there was a blue hand on his shoulder steadying him. Warmth seeped into him and it felt... strange. Good but strange and somehow, the warmth took the pain away a bit. 

 

“I'm not going to hurt you, brat. Or your brother,” spoke the stranger, voice calm and soothing. “And stop with this crying shit… you’re going to dust yourself then who is going to protect your brother here?”

 

Saz kept trembling, even though the words did calm his fears a bit. He tried to protect his brother so many times yet failed to do so. But here this stranger was, looking at him as if he really could protect Parz, as if there was still hope for him to one day be the brother Parz deserved. “But...” he protest, eyes fixated on Parz’ unhappy expression. “He looks in pain.”

 

“He’s just a brat,” the man grumbles out. “Yeah, eating probably hurts like hell at the moment, I won't sugarcoat that. But if he wants to live then he has to put up with it now and suck it.” The stranger turned his attention back to Parz. “And sucking is what you are going to do. So be a good brat or I'll make you eat again and I don’t think you want for that to happen.”

 

When the bottle was pushed against Parz' mouth this time, he just made an unhappy grunt but did not struggle.

 

Seeing  that his brother was not in mortal danger, as well as the stern look the stranger sent his way, Saz resumed drinking his own bottle.

 

“Heh. That's more like it,” chuckled the stranger. “Really, Grillby is too soft with you guys. All his damned coddling. Damn goody-two-shoes. I wonder what he wants with the ninny here...”

 

Saz couldn't even begin to understand what the stranger is rambling about. He just continued to drink from the bottle until half of the liquid was gone and he could not take in more, feeling full and drowsy but in a good way.

Parz s eemed to be in a similar state within the stranger’s arms still.

 

“Who are you?” Saz questioned weakly, after gathering all the courage he could muster together causing the stranger to look at him almost puzzled though Saz couldn’t quite place the expression. 

 

The man became silent, eyes hidden behind the dark shades.

Saz feared that he had done something wrong again, crossed a line with his question.  _Please, he did not mean to! He hadn't known, he was just stupid and not thinking. Please it was an accident! Don't hurt Parz. I promise I won't ever do it again, I'll be better! Just please do it to me not to him. Don't hurt him because of me!_

 

Then, the stranger spoke again, his voice eerily soft. “My name is Fellby, brat. And... Stop looking at me like that. You and your brother are safe. I'll make sure that the two of you survive this shit.”

 

Saz stared numbly at the flame, feeling an odd tingle course though his being.

 

“Look, you did your job. You tried to protect your brother, yadda yadda,” Fellby muttered, rolling his eyes and turning a bit so that Saz could see Parz who was now resting in his arms, still a bit putout and tired but not in distress. “See? Little brat is alive and well. Hurray for you. You’re a good big brother and all that jazz. Now go back to drinking or else.”

 

Saz felt himself tearing up once more. No one ever told him that he was good in anything! Nevertheless, the stranger said he did a good job and protected Parz! His brother was alive and finally eating again and the stranger said it was because of HIM!

Maybe he re ally could do something right.

Maybe there really was still hope for him to become better.

 

The stories Sans told them on the run returned to his mind. Stories about an angel that would bring hope and light to monster kind...

 

He had just found his hope.

So maybe the angel Sans found was real after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here it is, the second chapter in the First Impression series. XD Swabbys chapter will come next most likely. ^^  
> We also want to thank all of the fans of this story, of the many reviews and, of course, the fanart we got! ^^
> 
> New fanart:
> 
> by Dealdraws: (dealdraws.tumblr.com)
> 
> Fellby singing "Do you wana burn a lab down" to Grillby:  
> http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/post/143657020521/sorry-antarestyl-this-had-to-be-done-your-lyrics
> 
> by Pippa-Frost (http://pippa-frost.tumblr.com)
> 
> Coloured version of Muffet's crush on Fellby:  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/144442003741/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-business-is
> 
> So many thanks to any of you, you guys are amazing. ^^ <3
> 
> Welp, that's that for today. We'll hope to post the next chapter soon, but RL-related stuff doesn't make that easy. X.X Regardless, please stay tuned and thank you all for your support. ^^
> 
> You can also ask both of us questions on our tumblrs,  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/ for me an http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com for Namekian-maoh. ^^ thanks guys.


	12. First Impressions: The Light of the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the third flame enters the Skeletons life. And he'll bring the final gift of the angel.   
> Swabby's first day with the skeletons.

Swabby was born as a yellow flame, the son of Isatis and Hyacinth, an indigo and a violet flame Elemental. In hindsight, it was somewhat hilarious. Well, maybe not. That was the problem. Swabby tried to find the joke in the whole thing so he could finally laugh about it for real. 

 

The thing is, yellow flames are fragile. The hotter a flame elemental burns, the more likely they were to survive. It was this simple. Moreover, his parents were the hottest flames around and ended up with one of the lowest burning flames imaginable as a child. Maybe it was not funny but depressing. 

 

Nevertheless, they loved him. They did. They protected him and sheltered him and moved away from the war that was on the horizon when he was just a little spark… They tried their best. They really did. Still, all his life Swabby could not help but look at the color of his flames with some strange feelings. 

 

It was not that he hated himself. There was the awkward teenage angst phase every young monster had, surely but, other than that, he was fairly okay with himself. He was a flame, he had a semi small stature and he was quite happy that skirts and dresses looked similarly good on him as pants and t-shirts. He was comfortable with himself, most of the time. He lived a stable life, could do the things he loved such as cooking and photography and he organize some family reunions from time to time. He was an adult, independent and... 

 

… and, still, there were days when he looked at his flames, at the bright yellow light they emitted, and kind of wished he burned just a bit higher, green or maybe orange. It would make things easier. 

 

But his yellow flames had also their good sides.

 

He was maybe fifteen years old when he saw Grillby the first time. They were living still in the ruins and Grillby was still living together with the other flames whereas Snowdin was still nothing more than a cold wasteland. 

 

It was at a family reunion where everyone gathered around Grillby awaiting tales of his heroic deeds during the war yet Grillby stayed quiet. In fact, he did not talk at all. He was just sitting there, silent, while others told tales and praised him. He looked so much as though he needed a hug. 

 

Therefore, Swabby, in his never-ending wisdom, came over to him and asked him if he wanted one. 

 

Grillby had stared at him with wide eyes but nodded after a few moments. The hug was quick and pretty one-sided but Grillby was smiling at the end of it. “You are a bright one, huh?” he had whispered to him and it was the only thing Swabby heard him say for the evening.

Later that evening his mother made a comment about helping burning down some trees outside the ruins to make room for a village or something. Grillby went pale at that, a pale yellow almost white, before running out of the meeting and not returning. 

 

Swabby never found out of what he was reminded of that day…

 

However, Grillby did write him a letter a few weeks later, thanking him for the hug and stating that he remembered him because of his bright yellow flames. They reminded him of the sun, he wrote. In addition, that he would like to have a friend to talk to.  
Swabby agreed happily. 

 

He suspected that Swabby himself looked like he could use a friend too. 

 

They started a nice friendship via letter, telling each other about their lives and such. They often exchanged recipes and what book they were reading, thousands of little things. It was not the deepest of friendships, there were sometimes three letters a week or sometimes one in a month’s time, but it meant a lot for Swabby.

 

Swabby told Grillby about his bad memories, when everything seemed grey and sticky with dust, when he could still hear monster crying and everything was weighing down on him, holding him in place like he was trying to wade through lava. And, in turn, Grillby told him of his bad days, when he was plagued by nightmares and flashbacks that robbed him his sleep and peace of mind, of his LOVE and how it pressed down on his soul much more than any blue magic attack. 

 

It was a few years after their fateful meeting that Grillby moved to Snowdin. It kind of made sense everything considered. Letters were less frequent after Grillby's move, but still there and, for Swabby, it was enough. 

 

It was not often that Grillby wrote texts or really used his phone at all. He preferred writing letters and would only ever text him in extreme cases. So when Swabby got a text from him just stating “I need your help, please come”, he didn't hesitate to pack up everything he could, dust off his best protection coat and look up the next scheduled ride with the Riverperson to Snowdin. 

 

With preparations for his travel, making room in his own schedule for staying however long this would take and arranging that his restaurant be taken care of, he took nearly a whole day to be ready. Nevertheless, here he was, wrapped up in a thick coat that still shimmered with magic protecting him from the elements and a small briefcase with some essentials, standing in front of Grillby’s home and ringing the bell.

 

For a while, nothing happened.

Swabby frowned and rang the bell again.

This was... unusual. In the years he had known Grillby, the older flame had summoned him maybe a handful of times and then it was always as if he was waiting behind the door, silent and shaking, looking at him with wide eyes. He never told Swabby what exactly haunted him in these moments but Swabby knew that it had something to do with the war and sometimes Grillby would mumble some names during his nightmares in these instances, but none of which made much sense for Swabby. He guessed that it were fallen friends, lost monsters during the war. He could not do much but to be there for him, feeling strangely honored that Grillby, the famous war hero, would trust him enough to let him see him in such dark hours. Therefore, his normal visits contained of giving Grillby a hug, making him tea and sitting with him in his living room for hours, reading to him some book or telling him the newest rumors from Hotland and waking him at night when the older monster’s flames would flicker brightly from his nightmares. 

 

That and a door that would open as soon as he stepped up to the porch.

 

Strange.

 

After a minute or two, he could hear voices. Swabby could help but to frown lightly. Had Grillby guests over already?

After another few minutes, the door finally opened to reveal not Grillby but a blue flame!

 

Swabby blinked surprised. “You’re not Grillby,” he pointed out.

 

“No shit,” the blue flame in front of him replied and glared down at him.

 

Swabby gave him a once over. Black pants, a shirt that looked a bit too tight on his frame and dark sunglasses that made it impossible to see his eyes. “Well, let's see... blue flames and the brightest smile this side of the barrier,” said Swabby, grinning like a cat. “You must be Fellby!”

 

Yeah, it had to be Fellby! It could not possibly be anybody else. 

But wow, he had not seen Fellby in... well he was not sure he had ever physically met the guy. The last time he even laid eyes on him was in passing in Hotland over two hundred years ago and even then no one would really even talk about the flame... 

 

He looked... well... Fellby. Not good, not bad. It was rather hard to tell with the sunglasses on his face but his blue flames flickered a bit irritated and a small shift in brightness behind the shades indicated that he blinked at him.

 

Swabby blinked back.

 

“Fuck this,” huffed Fellby and closed the door in his face.

 

Swabby blinked again. Did he really just...? “Hey!” Swabby cried out, ringing the doorbell again. “Fellby, open the door!”

 

This time, the door opened a lot quicker almost hitting him.

  
“What do you want, Swabby?” Fellby hissed at him.

 

Hey, he remembered his name!

 

Swabby could not help but smile a bit at that, giving his relatives at home a snort. Fellby not caring about anyone but himself? Yeah, he is a bit rough around the edges but surely he wasn't as bad as they made him out to be.

 

“Grillby asked for me to come, I'm here to help him with something,” answered Swabby, trying his best to let his flames flicker as friendly as possible. There was no sense in putting his cousin on the spot after all. “I hadn't expected you here.”  
  
“Yeah, well, I'm here,” grumbled Fellby. “So you can go away.”

 

“Aw, come on, Fellby! We haven't seen each other in such a long time…”

 

“I was going for even longer time and look at that, now I have to start all over.”

 

“Come on, Fellby,” repeated Swabby, looking at him with his best smile. “What’s going on? We're family, you can tell me!”

 

Fellby just stared at him for a moment. “Fuck you.” 

 

“No, I don't do that kind of thing,” chuckled Swabby in reply. “And you STILL haven’t answer my question.”

 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

 

Swabby could not help but to giggle a bit, because really, the question was just funny. 

 

What the fuck wasn’t wrong with him?

 

Okay, no, better not going down that path just yet. He was here because of Grillby’s text!

 

He looked at Fellby and noticed that the blue flames were slowly heating up, melting the snow around them. Swabby blinked a bit at the realization. “Hey, you're a bit hotheaded, huh?” he said with a small grin. ”I don't want to  _melt_ with a terrible fate, so... uh...” Swabby winked a bit at the pun but Fellby continued to glare at him, heating up more. “You do know I'm a flame and heat doesn't bother me, don’t you?”

His question was met with complete silence.

Huh, maybe he just wanted to be nice and warm him up a bit? It would be a really nice gesture. Because, even with protection, Snowdin was still cold and far from harmless.

Nevertheless, Fellby was still just looking at him. Silence stretched between them.

 

“Hello? Are you ignoring me?”

 

Silence.

 

Swabby reached out and waved one hand before Fellby’s eyes. Was he sleeping?

 

At the movement Fellby seemed to come back to the present and slapped his hand away violently. “Stop that, you annoying candle!”

 

Swabby just grinned. “Made you talk again,” he exclaimed happily before shifting a bit, drawing his coat tighter around his shoulders. Darn, why do all flames have to be taller than him? “Sooo... what IS up with Grillby? And can I come in? It's getting kind of cold out here…”

 

“Good. As low as your flame is, you shouldn’t last long,” he stated before shutting door in Swabby's face... again.

 

Swabby blinks at the closed door. “That gets old really fast,” he mumbled before knocking against the door. “Fellby, come on! Just tell me what’s going on.”

 

Silence.

 

Though from the pale blue shine coming from underneath the doorframe, Swabby could tell that Fellby was more-than-likely leaning against the other side of the door, waiting for him to give up.

 

“Fellby, I know you are still there,” he calls out. “I would have heard you leaving!”

 

The silence sounded a bit more forceful.

 

“Fellby, come on!” It did get cold rather quickly. He would not lose HP right away seeing that the weather was still on the fair side but Swabby really did not want to stay outside longer than necessary. “Fellby!”

 

Swabby was about to knock again as the door opened, again barely missing from hitting him in the face, and he was grabbed by his coat and drag inside, the door loudly falling shut behind him.

 

A blast of warm air surrounded Swabby and it was like being back in Hotland, in a way.

 

He glanced up and saw Fellby looking down at him, one hand still balled up in his coat and the other in a fist beside his hip. Swabby smiled a bit. “Aww, thanks. It really got cold out there.”

 

“You’re fucking annoying,” mumbled Fellby as he let go of Swabby’s coat, crossing his arms.

 

Swabby snorted. Yeah, right. Fellby was a big softy. He just didn't know it yet.

 

“Swabby, is that you?” came a voice from upstairs and Swabby couldn’t help but to smile when he saw Grillby looking out of one of the doors.   


“Hey, Grillby!” he greeted him. “It's great hearing from you again!”

 

Grillby just chuckled, coming down the stairs quickly. “And it's great seeing you, my friend.” They shared a brief hug after which Grillby took his coat, hung it up and ushered Swabby into the kitchen, insisting on making him some tea to help him warm up. 

 

Swabby just smiled. It was great seeing Grillby not in the grip of some nightmare. “Grillby, stop fussing over me,” he finally chuckled. “I'm fine, the ride was uneventful and I got my coat enchanted ages ago.”

 

“Still, it's only polite to offer something warm,” Grillby replied as he set a steaming mug in front of Swabby. “After all, I summoned you out here...”

 

Swabby took the mug and sipped at the tea, smiling a bit at the taste and aroma. Sweet ginger tea. Swabby knew that Grillby did not particularly like sweets, preferring sea tea and coffee over anything with sugar, but he still kept sweet ginger tea around for whenever Swabby would come over. “Thanks Grillby,” mumbled Swabby, still sipping at his tea. The heat was quite nice, especially after being locked outside in the snow. “So... why did you summon me here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Swabby questioned before sneaking a quick glance towards the blue flame within the doorway. “I didn’t know you had guests…?”

 

Grillby’s flames flickered a bit darker and Swabby knew that just because Grillby did not seem to be in the depth of a bad day, the situation at hand could not be a very good one. 

 

Grillby sat down in front of him and begun talking about something that sounded like a horror tale right out of a book from the human world. 

 

He found children.

Six skeleton children.

Six skeleton children with shape-shifting magic.

Six skeleton children who were hurt and scared and half-starved.

Six skeleton children who had numbers engraved into their bones and talked about angels.

Six skeleton children who were baffled about the concept of a bed or silverware and had no idea what a bath was. 

Six innocent little children who needed help, love, and somebody to protect them. 

 

Whilst Swabby was still confused over exactly why and how Fellby of all people was involved in all this, he knew he did the right thing in answering Grillby’s cry for help. “Of course I'll help you,” he said, smiling softly as his flames flicker brightly. “Family has to stick to together, remember?”

 

Grillby's warm and grateful smile was answer enough.

 

\--

 

The angel Sans found was a dark orange color, almost red.

Suny liked red and orange.

To be completely honest, Suny loved just about every color he had ever seen. 

 

There was not much color within the place they came from… It was mostly dark and lonely.

He had his awesome brother but even Pyru left for hours at a time occasionally and came back exhausted and sometimes hurt.

 

Suny knew that Pyru was hurting sometimes, even when his brother tried to hide it. He would hug him then and not let go for a long time.

It made Suny sad to know his brother was hurting and even sadder that there was nothing he could really do about it. 

 

It was dark in their room. Just black, grey, and nothingness. Therefore, Suny tried to use what little magic he had to make his eyes shine. It wasn’t much but it brought a bit of blue light in their cell which always made Pyru smile. 

 

Pyru named him Suny because he was his sun, he said and Suny rather liked his name. 

 

Suny also liked the stories of the angel that Sans told them while they were searching for a real home. The angel brought hope and light to monsters and sounded really, really kind!

 

Grillby was kind.

 

Grillby smiled a lot and let them sleep on a really soft thing he had called a ‘bed’.

He kept them warm and gave them lots of food that tasted really good AND he hugged Suny when he asked him to!

Grillby was the best angel, no doubt.

 

Then the blue angel showed up.

He looked a lot like Sans’ angel but… different.

He was kind of scary looking and wore colors that reminded Suny of the bad place. He was louder than Sans’ angel and growled a lot, using words which Suny did not understand that caused the other angel to frown.

Grillby said that the blue angel’s name was Fellby and that he was family.

Suny was still figuring out what lots of words meant but Grillby said that Fellby was okay and would not hurt them so Suny supposed that he could not be as scary as he appeared.

Besides, Fellby was blue and Suny loved the color blue! 

 

But the blue angel also had Saz and Parz eating again and looking much better than they had before any of them had met Sans’ angel so that made him good in Suny’s mind. 

 

There was a strange ringing sound through the house the day after Fellby came, shortly after Grillby brought them lunch. Lunch is food you eat in the middle of the day, at least that is what Grillby had told them. Suny had not known there were words for food depending on what time you ate it... Everything is so new and exciting!

Saz and Parz were sleeping again when the ringing had begun.

“Oh,” Grillby had said, glancing towards the door. “That must be Swabby.”  
“Ugh,” groaned Fellby.  
Papyrus tugged at Grillby’s sleeve, waiting for the flame to look at him before asking, “Who’s Swabby?”  
The question was one that all the brothers wanted to know the answer too.  
Grillby smiled softly down at the children, trying to easy away the fear he saw on both Sans and Pyru’s faces. “He’s family,” he says gently, “a dear friend of mine who is here to help.” He turned his attention towards Fellby. “Could you please go and let him inside?”  
“Why do I have to do it?” snapped Fellby.  
  


Grillby gave him a pointed look. “I have to help the children finish up eating.” It was true, sadly. Suny was still mystified by the magic that is a spoon and even Pyru and Sans had difficulty using the new tools.

“Tsk,” huffed Fellby as he left the room, grumbling about something none of the children could hear.

 

After a while, Grillby left too and they were alone again. It was okay, really, because they were not alone, they had each other now!

Sans and Pyru both looked tired and leaned heavily against one another, still watching over Saz and Parz who were once again asleep... whereas Papyrus and Suny started a happy game of tickle fighting as they wait for the flames to return.

 

When the door opened again, Suny saw a completely new color. 

 

Yellow!

 

It was a flame just like Grillby and Fellby but a bright yellow color. He was smiling widely and was just beautiful to behold! Even his clothes were colorful, a pair of pale blue pants and a green shirt. It was as if colors itself just entered the room!

 

“Hey, kids,” the yellow flame said happily and Suny waved at him even if Sans and Pyru were looking skeptically at him. “My name is Swabby. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Where’s Grillby?” asked Sans.

 

“Downstairs making dinner and doing some grown-up stuff,” explained Swabby gently. “In the meantime, how about we do something fun together, huh?”

 

Fun? Fun sounded like... well... fun. Suny cheered.

 

Sans and Pyru weren't really into the fun, they were boring and stayed on the bed, watching every move from the other flame. Nevertheless, Suny had the time of his life!

 

Swabby brought a colorful and bright book with him, together with paper and sticks that made colors appear on the paper when you pressed them against it. “See? That are all the colors,” Swabby explained while he showed off how to get the color to appear on the white paper. “Give it a try yourselves. It's really fun and you can show what you drew to Grillby later.”

 

“They are all pretty!” exclaimed Suny, giddy with joy. 

 

“I like the red and the blue best,” stated Papyrus as he took the red crayon, carefully moving it over the paper and coloring a patch in as Swabby did on the test-paper. His face brightened up with joy. 

 

“I like all the colors!” exclaimed Suny happily. “Red and orange and yellow and green and blue and violet and purple and red!”

  
Papyrus giggles. “You already said red.”  
  


Swabby chuckled as well, eyes sparkling with mirth. “Sounds like all of the colors of the rainbow.”

 

“Rainbow?” Suny asked confused. He just learned a while back what rain was while they traveled through Waterfall. “Why should a bow made out of rain be colorful?”

 

“You never seen one?” asked Swabby. “Oh... of course, they don't really happen down here... Honestly I’ve only ever seen some in pictures but they are really pretty.”

 

“Pretty?” asked Suny interested.

 

“I'll show you.” Swabby took out a fresh piece of paper and gathered up all of the crayons, beginning to draw.

Suny noticed how even Sans and Pyru looked interested to them.

First, Swabby took the red and drew a half-circle. Then he took the orange and drew a band inside the red one, following it up with the yellow and did the same again and again with the other colors. 

 

The result was colorful and beautiful. Suny was in love. “Is this real?” he questioned. “The... the bowrain? Rainbow? Is it real?”

 

“Yes,” Swabby chuckled. “It is real, Suny. Rainbows are real. It just needs water and sunlight. On the surface, you are suppose to be able to see them after it rains.”

  
“Rain AND sunshine?” asked Suny. 

 

“Yes,” nodded Swabby. “Well, it is a bit more complicated than that but that's what is needed. Water and light. The water breaks the light down in all the pretty colors it's made of.”

 

Suny did not really understand what that meant but it sounded so cool! The surface surely had to be the best place ever if something like rainbows could be possible. “I wanna see one one day,” he mumbled quietly. 

 

Swabby smiled at him, his flames flickering so brightly that Suny could not help but wonder if Swabby really is a sun in disguise. “I'm sure, one day, we will see the surface,” he stated firmly. “And then you will see only the prettiest of rainbows.”

 

Suny really couldn't wait!

 

They colored a while after that, Suny kept replicating rainbows all over his sheet of paper while Papyrus, with Swabby’s help, tried his hand in flowers and a orange blob that was supposed to be Grillby. Suny thought he really caught the color and brightness of their angel well. Even Sans and Pyru came over to them, slowly trusting Swabby not to be horrible. Seriously, how could he? He said Grillby sent him, so he had to be okay! In addition, he showed him rainbows!

 

Swabby was the best Suny decided right then and there.

When the yellow flame proclaimed that he was all out of paper, Suny stood up and walked to him, hugging his legs. He felt a warm hand carefully patting his skull and Suny beamed up to him. Suny had trouble reading the expression on the face of the flame. He could read his brothers fairly well but flames were so different! Nevertheless, it seemed like a good expression and there was a smile, so it was good! 

 

After that, and after Swabby saw how all of them had color stains on their bones, Swabby proclaimed it was time for a bath and ushered them all, save for Saz and Parz who were still injured and sleeping, into the bathroom.

They had already been to the bathroom the previous night when Grillby gave them new clothes and washed them. It was a small white room with a big bathtub in which they all had bathed in together with Grillby’s help, a sink and a small mirror which apparently reflected whatever it saw though Suny was too small to see if it was true or not… 

 

Swabby moved to the tub, pulling on a pair of long gloves and an apron, and started letting water fill the tub. He then picked up each child carefully, helping them out of their clothes and placing them down into warm water. 

 

There were bubbles in the water that Suny looked at curiously. He even scoped some of them up, blinking as they popped within his hands.

Papyrus giggled at the tickling sensation of bubbles against bones.

Sans poked a rather large bubble curiously, letting out a little gasp when it popped, his left eye glowing a bright yellow for a split second before he calmed himself.

Meanwhile, Pyru just seemed to look at the door and Suny. Swabby did not seem to notice. He just took a cloth and begun to gently clean their bones. It felt weird. Soft and gently and warm. 

 

Suny and Pyru got dirty in the bad place a few times and had to be cleaned but it was never like this. Not warm or nice, there was never any bubbles, just a damp cloth that was dragged over their bones quickly. This on the other hand sort of tickled and was even fun!

 

Suny had to giggle when Swabby gently cleaned his legs and that made Swabby laugh too, his flames flickering a bit. And that was the moment when Suny saw it.

 

The yellow flames were dancing and something different, something colorful was dancing with it!

 

Suny tried to find the colorful speck and it took him a while to realize that it was light that was being cast like a shadow from the bubbles. He scooped a handful of the foam up into his hands, giggling at how it felt but also really looking at it carefully. Many, many, many tiny bubbles! But whenever Swabby’s flames would flicker, the bubbles seemed to shine and sparkle.

 

Colorful and pretty!

 

Suny recognized the colors. “Red and orange,” he mumbled. “Yellow and green. Blue and Indigo... and violet!”

 

“Suny?” Swabby questioned, looking at him. “What is it?”

 

“THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW!” Suny exclaimed happily, raising his little arms over his head in joy. “THEY ARE ALL HERE! THE BUBBLES ARE LIKE RAIN! AND... AND…” There has to be rain and sunlight for a rainbow to form, that is what Swabby has said. So if the bubbles were like rain then that meant... “YOU ARE THE SUN!” Suny shouts out, looking up to Swabby with pure awe, his blue eyes even bigger than usual.

 

Swabby blinked at him, surprised.

 

“YOU ARE SUNLIGHT!” exclaimed Suny happily again before reaching out and hugging Swabby tightly.

 

It took a few seconds before he felt the flame really reacting, most likely because he was shocked by the magnificent power of his hugs, but then Suny felt an arm around him and something warm on his head.

 

When Swabby finally spoke, his voice sounded strange, a bit like Pyru when he would return to their darkened room in the bad place and refuse to let go of him. “I... looks like I am... huh?” Swabby whispered, petting Suny’s skull. 

 

Suny giggled.

 

So many things changed in the last few weeks.

They got away from the bad place.

They ran through the Underground, crossing lava and water and finally snow.

They found the angel Sans was always telling them about. The angel that brought freedom and hope and light to monsterkind. 

 

Suny did not understand much, everything was still so new and confusing to him. However, one thing was clear: The angel was real and brought them not only light but also the  _sun._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we come to a close to the First Impression series... but we will continue with other stuff from this AU. ^^#
> 
> By the way: AMAZING FANART! We want to thank you so much for this. ^^ Here they are: 
> 
> By Pippa-Frost (pippa-frost.tumblr.com/) :
> 
> Family Night picture taken by Swabby:  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/144515211396/pippa-frost-a-quick-little-picture-taken-by  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/145198453211/pippa-frost-i-liked-this-backround-better (in colour)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/145198254636/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-so-heres-the (other colours)
> 
> Bathtime chaos  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/144870429456/pippa-frost-so-heres-another-thing-i-imagined
> 
> Cute Interactions between the flames and children  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/144996393971/pippa-frost-namekian-maoh-pippa-frost
> 
> Swabby being a little shit and Fellby having no chill at all  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/145154887566/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-hello-so-i-had
> 
> Requested scenes from the fic  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/145266854291/pippa-frost-hi-so-makotomari-requested-some
> 
> Bathtime with Swabby (or: That one time he used ALL the protection.)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/145308833831/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-little-thing-i
> 
> More scenes from the fic  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/145309137906/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-hey-so-more
> 
>  
> 
> And from Dealdraws (http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Scene from Fellbys Introduction Chapter  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/144711539836/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-i-finally-managed-to
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks to all of you for this amazing art. We are so happy about these, you don't even know. :D And thanks to to every reviewer and supporter of this fic. ^^
> 
> Until next time then. ^^


	13. Krankentag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's not some big, bad, dark thing from the past that can make one's day miserable. Sometimes it's something as ordinary as getting sick. But, well, something simple as a sickness won't bring this family down.

 

 

Blizzard season was always a rather tense time; it lasted a few weeks and kept everyone in the house with the exception of Grillby and Fellby, and at times, on days where it was just to cold, even Fellby too.

 

Fellby usually tried not to be in Snowdin during this time but, as the years went on, he tended to stay longer and longer periods at Grillby’s home. It was during the children’s fifth year when he did not leave for Hotland even during his most hated season; the main reason behind staying being that Sans fell sick.

 

It begun with Sans returning from school along side his brothers and going right to sleep. Not that it was unusual, Sans, Saz and Pyru regularly would take a nap together after school, but the way that Sans just flopped over on the couch, not even bothering to teleport into their shared room, was worrying.

 

Even more so when he did not came to dinner.

 

“I'll get the lazy bones!” stated Papyrus loudly, noticing how Suny tried to sneak some honey from Pyru who was busy petting over Saz’ skull as he walked from the kitchen. Seriously, his brothers were weird sometimes but he still loved them. Besides, it looked like Swabby had noticed what Suny was doing and tried to intervene, so it was best for him to get out of the line of fire. Last time Suny got to much sugar, Greater and Lesser Dog would not speak to them for nearly a whole week!

 

Leaving the rest of his family in the kitchen, Papyrus made his way to the living room and looked down upon the sleeping skeleton, crossing his arms over his chest. “Stop being a lazy bones, Sans!” he huffed out as he poked his brother, trying to wake him. “Its dinner time and dad made spaghetti. Come on, bro.”

 

However, Sans didn't move.

 

Papyrus frowned. Usually his brother would rise at the promise of food. He poked Sans again, directly on his forth rib where he **knew** Sans was very ticklish.

 

“Pap, g'way...” grumbled Sans into the back of the couch where his face was pressed against the cushion.

 

“No, we are having dinner and it is important that you don't miss it!” Papyrus stated, nudging Sans shoulder.

 

Sans made a whine sound and shifts, curling in on himself and hiding his head under his paw.

 

Papyrus frowned harder. He poked Sans again.

 

A weak spark of magic came from Sans but instead of teleporting away, like he usually did in a situation like this, he just groaned.

This would not do at all!

 

“Dad!” Papyrus shouted, running back into the kitchen where his brothers and the three flames who raised them were still sitting at the table. “Dad, I think Sans is sick.”

 

Swabby used the brief distraction to finally snatch the bottle of honey out of Suny’s hands.

 

Grillby turned to him, blinking with a hint of worry in his orange flames. “Sick you say?”

  
“Yes! He is just laying there and doesn't react to me poking him OR to food!” mumbled Papyrus, crossing his arms. “AND he doesn't even teleport!”

 

“Well, he is not supposed to teleport in the house,” Grillby stated.

The rule was a sad necessity for little skeletons who like to show off their magic they don't always have full control over and are prone to end up at the most impossible places... and fall asleep there.

 

“No! It's not like that!” protested Papyrus. “He tries, I know he does, but he just... stays there all groaning and not moving. This just won't do. I think he is sick.”

 

“Well, the little brat did steal my couch the moment he came home,” mumbled Fellby while trying to sneak some of the pie from the center of the table.

 

Swabby swatted at the blue hand without even looking and placed the bottle of honey far out of the now pouting Suny’s reach.

Pyru frowned a bit because out of Suny's reach meant out of his reach too.

 

“It's still my couch you know,” mumbled Grillby before looking towards Papyrus. “That really doesn’t sound like him… I’ll go and check on him.”

 

“I’ll come with you,” added Fellby, getting up from his chair. “I have to see if I can get my couch back.” He paused for a moment to pet Papyrus once on the skull, nudging him to join them in the living room. “Don't worry, brat, we’ll get him up and running in no time.”

 

Papyrus smiled at the gesture and hurries back to the living room where Grillby had Sans cradled within his arms inspecting him, worry clear on his face.

 

“Something is definitely wrong with him,” he agreed. “His magic feels strange... I think he may have caught one of the bugs going around Snowdin.”

 

“So Sans really is sick?” asked Papyrus worried. Up until now all of them were pretty healthy. The thought of one of his brothers sick was... unsettling for Papyrus.

 

Grillby nodded. “Yes... but don't worry,” he spoke gently, with a smile. “We’ll let him rest up and he should be better in no time.” He laid the little skeleton down again on the couch and turned to get some extra blankets.

 

Fellby blinked. “Wait, he’s gonna sleep here?”

 

“Yes,” Grillby responded lightly as he removed a few fluffy blankets from the jacket closet. “He could infect the others if he were to sleep with them.”

 

“But... I sleep here.”

 

“Wonderful,” spoke Grillby without missing a beat. “That means you can keep an eye on him during the night.”

 

“What and run the risk of catching whatever lil’ bones has myself?” It was more of a front than anything and everyone within the room knew it.

 

“You won’t get sick, Fellby,” soothed Grillby. “Though... maybe you are right and perhaps it would be best if Swabby or myself watched after him…”

 

“... On second thought leave him here and go away,” said Fellby quickly as he shoved Grillby aside to sit on the couch. “You don't know how to handle a sick skeleton.”

Said little sick skeleton whined a bit as Fellby pulled him into his lap but soon curled up contently into the warmth.

 

Papyrus just smiled at his uncle. There were monsters at school who thought that Fellby was cold, weird, and rude but, really, he was... well he was rude. Sometimes. Nevertheless, he was a lot warmer and kinder than most people thought! “Are you gonna make him better?”

 

Fellby hesitated for a moment, a flicker of fear crossing his features before he relaxed again. “Eh sure, kiddo. And,” he added, boasting, “I'll do a better job than Grills here ever could!”

 

“Yey!” exclaimed Papyrus before coming up and hugging him tightly.

 

Fellby blushed light violet while Grillby’s chuckle could be heard. Fellby let him hug him a bit before pushing Papyrus gently away. “Alright, alright, Babybones. Now get some space between us or else you'll catch whatever Sans has too,” Fellby mumbled out. “Can't have two of you sick now, can we?”

 

“I'll bring your dinner here and perhaps some tea for Sans,” Grillby said gently. “Seems like you won't be leaving this couch anytime soon.”

 

It was only when Grillby left the room and was _almost_ out of earshot when Fellby mumbled a quiet “thank you”.

 

\--

 

Unfortunately, it did not end there.

 

Sans woke later that night when Swabby and Grillby were sitting in the chairs next to the couch, both of them reading whilst Fellby napped. He was disoriented, feeling weird and weak. The two managed to get him to drink a bit of warm tea before he shivered and curled up against Fellby’s flames once more, stating that he was cold.

 

Pyru managed to sneak down later to check up on Sans. He tried not to let it show but he was nervous about Sans' sickness yet he was unable to hide his concern due to the dark circles forming under his eyes.

 

He was allowed to stay with them for a bit once Swabby spotted him hiding in the curve of the stairwell and telling them that he could not sleep due to a nightmare… He transformed almost automatically and hopped into Swabby’s lap, curing up while watching his brother sleep. He was almost too big for it now having grown so much within the last two years yet Swabby still told them all that they were still their little boys.

 

“Look at you,” Swabby mumbled, chuckling a bit. “You are almost as tall as I am now.”

 

Pyru just made a little sound and cuddled closer to him.

 

Swabby noticed that he was still shaking and looking at Sans the whole time. “Pyru, you don't have to worry,” he soothes. “He's going to be fine. He's just a bit sick.”

 

Pyru turned his head to look at Swabby, making a whine like sound.

 

Swabby just nuzzled him. “Shhh,” he shushed. “Everything is going to be okay. Grillby, Fellby and myself will take care of it.”

 

Grillby brought Pyru to bed when he nodded off after a while of being softly petted and reassured. Only a twitch in his long tail made it obvious just how high strung he still was.

 

“Hey, Grills,” finally awake from his nap, Fellby spoke up upon Grillby’s return to the living room. “Think you could fetch me some books or something?”

 

“What kind of books?” asked Grillby as he took a seat. “The library has a lot of them.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice and Swabby let out a little snort however, Fellby did not react to the subtle teasing.

 

“Botanic and biology,” mumbled Fellby. “Something that explains just how the fuck skeletons work.”

 

“You want to read up on skeletons?” Swabby questioned interested. “And why botanic?”

  
“Well, we can't let this go on any longer,” huffed Fellby. “Pyru is still sneaking about at night, you know…”

 

“Yeah, he has a lot of nightmares,” sighed Swabby. “He told me it's nothing serious but I have a feeling that it's only half of the story.”

 

“Does he still sleep with you sometimes?” asked Grillby, frowning.

 

“Yeah,” Swabby replies with a worried frown. “Not as often as when he was younger but I found him a few times leaning against my bed and napping… He told me once that he finds my flames comforting but I can't be his crutch for the rest of his life.”

 

Fellby snickered. “That makes you a glorified nightlight.”

 

“We COULD just ask Healer Asklepios,” suggested Grillby. “He at least has still SOME experience with skeletons.”

 

“Urgh no,” growled Fellby, crossing his arms over the sleeping Sans. “I don't want him snooping around here!”

 

“Fellby, we’ve know him for years now,” Grillby sighed, rubbing his temples at Fellby’s complaining. “He always does a good job and the children like him… he’s the only person I trust taking care of them.”

 

“Urgh no,” Fellby repeated, pouting somewhat. “Apparently I'm stuck on this couch for a while and I could use something to read… so could ya just get me some books or… something! I’m sure Sans will be fine in a day or so.”

 

Grillby shook his head, at least glad that Fellby did not decide to continue his argument against the healer. “I’ll see what I can find.”

 

\--

 

The next day Sans stayed at home while his brothers left for school and Grillby headed off to work. Papyrus and Pyru especially had to be promised several times that Sans would be fine and that Swabby and Fellby would not leave his side.

 

However, for the most part, it was Fellby who stayed with Sans while Swabby tended to the chores but that did not take the feeling of worry out of the house…

Sans himself slept more than any thing else, still wrapped in a blanket and cuddled against Fellby, shivering from time to time. They would have Sans drink a bit of tea and soup whenever he woke up but not even his beloved ketchup seemed to be to Sans' liking. He just mumbled something about being tired and cold to Fellby before curling up again and falling fast asleep.

 

It was around lunchtime, close to when the skeletons usually returned from school, that Fellby finally had to stand up and go outside for a bit, leaving the sleeping child in Swabby’s care. He walked behind the house, leaning against the wall and sighed deeply as he fished out one of his last cigarettes and lit it up, taking a deep draw.

It had been a while. He stopped smoking during the first years with the skeletons, at least around the house and Grillby. It was annoying, after all, to get your cigarette burned to nothing under Grillby's disapproving stare. Annoying and expensive.

 

Fellby let out a heavy sigh, watching as his breath and smoke darkened the fridged air before him. He knew Sans was only sick, that it had nothing to do with what had happened to the skeletons when they were children or with what they found in diaries and tapes but damn if it didn't it bring back memories. Especially of Saz and Parz, both of them so small and fragile in his arms, barely alive, as well as with what had happened with Swabby last year, when he got sick with flames so low that Fellby honestly was afraid a small breeze would blow him out and make him disappear. Especially when he saw the DATE and REMEMBERED only to have Swabby suddenly collapse within his arms like that…

 

He took another deep draw, trying to chase the memories out with the smoke. Its said and done, no need to dwell on it. If only he could chase the fear out of his soul as easily.

 

He stood there for a few minutes, letting smoke rise into the air while he tried to calm himself down, telling himself that the little brat would be fine. The sound of footsteps and one or two happy yips indicating that the other children were coming home drew him from his thoughts. He finished off his smoke and burned the rest of the cigarette before heading inside once more.

 

He found Papyrus in the living room, looking at Sans with a frown on his features. Even after all these years it was still always a bit strange seeing skeletons emoting. Moreover, Fellby was sure that if Papyrus had skin, there would be a deep fold on his forehead. “Hey, what are you breaking your skull over?” asked Fellby while sitting down on the couch again, quickly checking over Sans.

 

“I...” mumbles Papyrus, still deep in thought. “Something is weird…”

  
“Weird?”

 

“Yeah... I... uh... I looked, I looked really hard and there is like... a green bar over Sans?” he tried to explain, pointing at the thin air above Sans' head.

 

That got Fellby’s attention. His head whipped around and stared hard at Papyrus. There it was, as he feared, green magic swirling within Papyrus eyes, the boy’s bones and chest glowing the same hue. The color of kindness. The color of healing magic.

 

Fuck.

 

“Y...you see a bar?” questioned Fellby, just to confirm.

 

“Yeah, it's like… I really wanted to know what is wrong with Sans but he is asleep and can't tell me so I just... looked at him and then there is this bar above him and it's green but there is a part of it that gets more and more red? And there are blurs around it but I can’t make them out,” explained Papyrus as good as he could, using his hands to indicate the length of the bar and the position as he spoke.

 

All Fellby could think in the moment was “Fuck, he has healing magic. The fucking brat has healing magic.”

 

It made sense, in a way. Papyrus was a very sweet little kid with a kind soul. Kindness is green and green is healing.

 

Fellby himself had discovered his talent around age six though many monsters only unlocked their own talents around age ten or so, so it was not even that early for Papyrus to show signs of his own magic awakening. Fellby just had not expected it.

  
“Uncle Fellby?” Papyrus questioned, looking confused.

 

“Brat,” Fellby sighed out. “You… ugh that bar is Sans’ HP. You just checked him.”

 

Papyrus’ eyes grew large. “What? I... I can check?”

 

“Yeah… turns out your magic is green,” mumbled Fellby wondering why sweet, innocent Papyrus had to be cursed with _that_ power. “Check is a part of healing magic… Looks like you got a talent for that.”

 

Papyrus blinked at him. “I... I have HEALING MAGIC?” he asked with so much joy and wonder that it made Fellby cringe.

 

The boy was just too innocent with his joy.

 

“ _Mom, Dad!” the tiny blue flame shouted as he came running into the house. “I have green magic! I have healing magic!”_

 

_A small chuckle came from his mother, her green flames flickering in amusement, as she caught Fellby within her arms and pulled him up to rest on her hip. “What makes you say that, dear? You’re far too young for magic to show… or were you daydreaming again?”_

 

“ _Nooo!” the small child drags out, shaking his head. “Pullix_ _’s cow fell on the Cliffside looking for clover and I healed her. I have healing magic and it's SO COOL!”_

 

_His mother blinked at him, an expression on shock on her face. “You… truly?” She smiled gently, her eyes sparkling with love as she looked down at her son. “That’s wonderful, Fellby.”_

 

“ _Wait until I see Grillby again! He will be so jealous!” he states, not really paying any attention to his mother. “By then I'll be good enough to heal his stupid boring-illness away and then he won't be boring and tired anymore and we can play together again!”_

 

Ugh, he really wished that his memories would stay locked away in his mind. Fellby really did not want to deal with them now.

Though, come to think of it, he never did tell Grillby about his magic... or get to heal whatever turned him from his fun best friend to the boring stick-in-the-mud. At least he was a bit better now; burning down the lab together was pretty fun and there were days where he just felt... content.

  
“Uncle Fellby!”

 

Ah, right, he was dealing with Papyrus right now, not those stupid memories.

 

“Yeah, yeah, brat I was just thinking,” mumbled Fellby. “Listen, healing magic is not something to play around with...”

 

“But you know stuff about healing!” exclaimed Papyrus. “Can you teach me?”

 

Fellby groaned, because really, the stars must hate him. Why? Just why the fuck does this happen to him? On the other hand... the brat really should have somebody to teach him some stuff so he wouldn't freak out or accidentally use so much magic that he would collapse...

He looked Papyrus directly in the eyes. “Listen, brat,” he starts, bending down close so that he and Papyrus were face to face, and lowered his voice. “I can teach you some stuff but you have to understand that this is top secret. Nobody must ever know.”

 

“Not even my brothers?”

 

“Not even your brothers.”

 

“Not even dad?”

 

Fellby hesitates for a moment. “Not even Grillby.”

 

“But you’ll teach me?”

 

“Yeah,” Fellby sighed, “I'll teach you.”

 

Papyrus cheered and Fellby hushed him.

 

“Shh, okay? Nobody is supposed to know, remember?”

 

Papyrus held his hands over his mouth and giggled, making a mock-hushing noise.

 

Fellby gave a heavy sighed because he knew that Papyrus just did not take his words seriously. “Alright, brat, now hush... Best we begin with the Check here and now, it’s too much trouble otherwise,” he mumbled, kneeing down comfortably to Papyrus. “See, the Check shows you the HP count of a monster. You just look at the soul and let a bit of your magic seep into your eyes. There is a better check spell but for now the simple one should be enough.”

 

“How do I do that?” asked Papyrus, interest and wonder shining in his eyes.

 

“You just... look very hard?” Fellby said lamely. “Look, it's like... you wanna stare but instead of... staring you do checking.”

 

Papyrus blinked at him and Fellby face palmed mentally. He had no clue how to describe this stuff to the kid. He was surprised when Papyrus finally nodded and turned back to Sans, his face filled with determination. He stared at Sans, his little eyes bulging a bit out of his skull. It looked kinda funny, to be honest, but Fellby noticed the trace of green under the striped shirt and mixed in with Papyrus’ eyes.

 

“I see the bar again!” he exclaimed finally with a lot of excitement. “It's there and green and over his soul!”

 

“That's... that's good. So um... describe the bar a bit more,” instructed Fellby while he himself let a bit of magic fill his eyes, still hidden away by the dark sunglasses. “Focus on it.” The view-based checking really was more of a rough look but better than nothing and it did not require a lot of magic or even body contact.

 

He was a bit concerned about what he saw with Sans.

Sans never had much HP. In fact, the first time he saw him, Fellby guessed that the boy could not have more than two. However, his HP count did go up over the years; the same happened with Saz and Suny, even though all of them stayed under the normal twenty count of a child. Sans' normal HP count these days was eight, Saz hit a solid three with a bit of wavering depending on his mood that day and Suny topped them all with a strong ten.

 

Sans’ HP in the moment was down to two.

He was asleep yet his HP was still just two!

That was very, very worrying.

 

Fellby tried his best not to show how worried he was about Sans' HP. As long as Papyrus only saw a visual bar, there was no need to send him into a panic. It was only a sickness… It would pass.  
  
He praised Papyrus for his successful Check and promised him he would teach him more about healing magic later if he did his homework and be good. Papyrus practically hovered into the kitchen, leaving Fellby with a heavy feeling in his soul.

 

\--

 

It turned out, the heavy feeling was not just from his emotional investment with everything, but rather Sans’ sickness infecting him.

The next morning, Fellby felt like crap. His flames were low, burning a paler blue than usual. He felt all drowsy and dizzy with chills running down his body. He stayed on the couch, wrapped up in several blankets still cuddled to Sans and constantly shivering. His HP was still fine, he just felt terrible.

 

Sans, on the other hand, was another story. He woke up a few times, trembling and complaining that he was cold despite being warmed by Fellby and occasionally Swabby or Grillby. His magic was in frenzy and discharged from his body via some sort of thick slime.

 

“Brother, you emitting slime is icky,” Papyrus complained while trying to feed him some soup.

  
“Heh that's... just what brothers do...” mumbled Sans, sounding loopy, barely noticing the spoon much to Papyrus's irritation.

 

Fellby who held him upright just shook his head. “Sans, you’re making no sense,” he mumbles, voice gentle as his flames shivered. “Shut up and eat your soup… I’m hungry too, you know.”

  
“Uncle Fellby, hold still,” instructed Papyrus. “You'll get soup too!”

 

As if he had waited for Papyrus' words, Grillby came into the room with a second bowl of soup.

 

Fellby sighed and leaned more heavily into the couch. Being sick sucked. Even though he got to be lazy and be handfed soup... In addition, it was kinda fun being able to order Swabby and Grillby around. Servant indeed. Moreover, when he complained about a sore throat long enough, Swabby made him candy and, well, what was better than getting candy? Handmade candy even!

Come to think about it, he had to find a way to get Swabby to make candy when he felt better…

 

What worried Fellby more was that Sans' HP dropped to One around lunch-time, which was the main reason he did not protest when Grillby declared he would call Asklepios when Papyrus was out of the room with his other brothers and after Swabby voiced his concern about their current state of health.

  
“And before he gets here, you two need a bath,” mumbled Grillby, frowning at them.  
  
“How about I clean up Sans?” asked Swabby. “And you take Fellby?”  
  
“We can do it like that,” chuckled Grillby. “I’ll take Fellby upstairs to the bathroom. Could you clean up Sans in the kitchen?”  
  
Swabby just nodded and carefully picked up the shivering bundle that was Sans wrapped in several blankets.

Fellby did not really want to let go but he knew he had to. Besides, he noticed, not with a small horror, that he had not even had the strength to resist. Even Swabby seemed stronger than himself now. He watched as Swabby left the room, the brightness dropping a bit when the yellow flames disappeared into the kitchen.

 

Grillby looked down at Fellby, a strange expression on his face.

 

He was still cold. He huddled deeper into his blanket but knew it was useless. The cold did not come from the outside but from inside; the illness was messing with his magic and heat. An illness that would be dangerous to someone like Swabby but not really him. He still felt weird and weak.

 

The next thing Fellby knew was that he was being lifted and orange filled his vision. He held on to strong shoulders out of reflex while Grillby cradled him and carried him like he weighed nothing. Freakish strength and all... but in his mind-dazed state, Fellby just nuzzled into the warmth. It was familiar. It was safe. On a very basic level, he knew that Grillby would never hurt him.

 

He trusted him. He was safety. Protection.

 

The dear friend he had as a child, his earliest memory of red-orange arms that held him and declared themselves to be his protector forever. A pair of arms to catch him and hold him back whenever he got too reckless and somebody he could trust, always, to come for him.

 

If his hold on Grillby got a bit stronger than strictly necessary and if Grillby noticed he did not say so. Besides, nobody could judge him.

Nobody has to see, nobody has to know.

 

In the back of Fellby’s mind still existed the little fantasy world he had once created to run away from reality. The one where Grillby was the flame soldier, after all he had no way of knowing that he really was, who came and rescued him from the humans. The one where he would carry him just like that, strong arms protectively around him and the promise that nothing would ever hurt him, nothing would ever get to him.

Just like when they were kids and Grillby caught him when he fell out of an apple tree trying to get the juicy apples from the top so that their mothers could bake them a nice pie… Come to think of it, they never did get that pie. Instead, their mothers made a jam out of the few apples Fellby managed to get before his fall; something Fellby had complained about for weeks, long after he finished off the last bit of jam.  
  
But damn, this was a lot like that little fantasy of his. Warm and safe and... filled with stuff even Fellby couldn't name. Nevertheless, Fellby was too selfish to deny himself this little dip in his childish wishes and buried desires. He leaned into Grillby’s warmth and let himself be carried up the stairs.

 

Grillby took one of the arms away, just holding Fellby in a single arm, as he opened the bathroom door and walked inside.

 

“You and your frigging strength,” mumbled Fellby against Grillby’s shoulder. He felt the whole body vibrate from Grillby’s chuckle.

 

There was the sound of a cap being opened and thick liquid dripping smoothly into the tub.

 

Sounds like Grillby made him an oil bath. Fellby had no objections; the oil would burn for nearly an hour and felt amazing, especially since there was no lava nearby.

 

There was a wush-sound when Grillby ignited the oil and a look revealed that the flames burned brilliant blue, a bit darker perhaps than his own hue. Grillby must have heatened up his own flame before using it, otherwise the flames would be Grillby’s natural red-orange, a few hues colder than Fellby.

 

Next he knew was that Grillby got him out of his clothes and lowered him into the flames.

 

It felt godly. Hot flames licked against his own, warming his core and soul. He sighed and relaxed slowly into the tub. His own flames gained heat and color again too.

 

Grillby kneeled by the side of the tub, gently moving hot oil over Fellby’s back and head to be burned away in the blue flames. “How is the bath?” he asked after a while, his voice almost a whisper.

 

It felt nice. He did not want to pretend that he did not like it. “It's good,” mumbled Fellby back, quiet himself not wanting to destroy this fragile moment.

  
“Are you feeling better?”

 

“... a little.” It really did felt good. Strong but gentle fingers on his head, warm flames all around him and the knowledge that he was safe and cared for.

 

“Need anything?” asked Grillby, his voice sounding far away for Fellby/

  
“No... just...” he hesitates, feeling a childish want inside his soul but damn it all, he was sick and probably not right in his mind, and he could deny it all later on, but for now he just wanted to be selfish and give in. “Can you... stay a bit?”

  
“Of course.”

 

Fellby would blame his sickness and the drowsiness that came with it for sounding so weak yet he was glad at the same time. “Thanks.”

 

\--

 

Papyrus was in the kitchen when Swabby came in with Sans. His brother still looked terribly sick; still shaking with pale blue slime all over him. Papyrus made a face. “How is Sans?” he asked Swabby while the flame was sitting Sans down on one of the chairs to get his gloves.

 

Sans, in turn, just flopped over like a sack of flour.

 

“Not better, I'm afraid,” Swabby replied quietly. “But we called Healer Asklepios. He agreed to come in later to look at Sans... and Fellby too.”

 

“Does Uncle Fellby got the same?” asked Papyrus concerned, his eyes fixed on Sans. He would have checked him like Fellby showed him but it was supposed to be a secret!

 

Sans shivered violently.

 

Papyrus reached out and patted his brother on the head, even if he got some of the slime on him. It was disgusting but the Great Papyrus would endure such a little discomfort for the sake of his beloved brother!

 

Still, it was pretty gross…

 

“Uncle Swabby, what IS this stuff?” he asked finally, wiping the goop off on the leg of his pants.

 

“I'm not entirely sure myself but it looks like magical discharge,” Swabby answers gently, putting on a protective apron before filling a bowl with warm water and a bit of soap. He got a washcloth and towels and brought everything over to the table. “We'll ask Healer Asklepios when he gets here.”

 

“I hope Popo can help him,” mumbled Papyrus, the childish nickname for the healer still the primary name to which he was addressed by the children. “Sans HAS to get better.”

 

“He will,” assures Swabby, carefully extracting Sans from his cocoon of blankets and undressing him. “Sans is very tough and we all are taking care of him.” He smiled warmly at Papyrus. “So the sickness has no chance against this family.”

 

“Yes! The Great Papyrus will never let a stupid sickness get the better of my brother!” declared Papyrus happily.

 

Swabby chuckled a bit while dipping the cloth into the warm water and beginning to clean Sans.

Sans just made a little noise at the contact of the washcloth on his bones but stayed otherwise still, either allowing Swabby to clean him or just being to weak to protest.

 

Pyprus watched them for a bit.

Sans used to be bigger than him. Nevertheless, he, Saz and Suny just stayed very small while Papyrus, Parz and Pyru seemed to grow rapidly with Pyru coming closer and closer to Swabby’s height already. Despite that, Papyrus had never seen his brother as fragile or little or weak. Sans was the best brother anybody could wish for, even if he was lazy and made horrible puns sometimes. He had kept them safe and fed during their run from the bad place, er... lab... and still helped Papyrus with his homework and at school. Sans was... very strong.

 

Seeing him like this was just... unsettling.

He had seen Sans hurt before. He had tried to hide how much he got hurt in the bad place but Papyrus was always able to see right through his put-on smile. He knew that Sans had endured a lot more than he let on. He knew of the nightmares and that Sans' right eye didn't work properly due to the experiments the bad man named Gaster did on them. He knew that Sans' left shoulder arched whenever he transformed and that his magic tended to fizzle around his knuckles.

He knew many things that Sans wanted to keep from him. But it was okay, he knew his brothers just wanted to protect him and he wanted for Sans to feel better. He just had to be a bit sneaky when helping Sans.

 

Having healing magic sounded like a really good thing there. Surely he could help him with this magic. Maybe he could even be a Healer like Popo!

 

He wished he was a healer already, watching as Swabby gently clean Sans' right arm, moving the soft cloth down the white bones.

 

There were still nicks and scars in the bone and tiny holes where needles had been inserted. The strange slime seemed to stick nicely to the cloth and the bones got clean quickly.

Sans himself was still shivering, his eyes dark.

 

“Uncle Swabby?” asked Papyrus after a while. “Can I help?”

 

Swabby looked at him and smiled, his yellow flames dancing gently. “Of course. You just have to be careful.”

 

“Don't worry, Uncle Swabby,” Papyrus replied with the cloth in his hands. “The Great Papyrus is ALWAYS careful!”

 

Swabby just chuckled and let him help taking care of Sans.

 

Papyrus was glad. He always felt better when he could actually DO something... even if it was just cleaning up.

 

\--

 

No matter how much oil there was, at some point it would all burn up and the fire would extinguish.

 

Fellby noticed first because the flames in the tub changed from their rich blue slowly to deep red.

 

Grillby noticed too after a moment and lifted Fellby out of the flames, wrapping him into a towel to soak up any leftover oil before he sat him down on the bathroom chair.

 

Fellby still felt warm as he watched Grillby putting out the flames and draining the last of the oil, cleaning the tub with a few wipes, before turning around again.

 

Grillby proceeded to help Fellby into some pajamas; an old set of his that were, sadly, a bit too big on his cousin. The pants fit more or less and were just loose but Grillby's upper body, especially around his shoulders, were a lot wider than Fellby's causing the shirt to hang limply off of his shoulders. He could have asked for something of Swabby's but Swabby's hips were significantly wider and his upper body even smaller, giving him a more feminine stature and a body shape that really did not mix well with Fellby's own structure.

 

Fellby felt a tiny bit lost in Grillby's pajamas. They were quite nice, thou. Soft and warm and smelled like... well... the same stuff his own clothes smelled whenever Swabby did the wash.

 

Grillby looked him over for a long moment, not speaking and Fellby really was not sure why, sort of fidgeting under the stare.

 

“Better?” Grillby asked finally, his voice sounding strangely far away.

 

Fellby just gave a light nod in reply. Maybe it was the sickness or the warmth but he felt drowsy still. Warm and strong arms wrapped around him again and Fellby snuggled into orange-red heat, sighing quietly and closing his eyes. He was being carried once more but he really could not care less. He was safe and warm and that was all that mattered.

 

Grillby said something but Fellby could not understand the words, he felt the small vibrations of the sound traveling through their bodies. It felt oddly nice and calming like when his parents would carry him to bed as a child...

 

“ _But daaaad, I'm not even tired!”_

 

_A chuckle that rumbled low under his small body, deep red flames that flickered amused against the imbedded black patches. “You can barely keep your eyes open.”_

 

“ _Can too!”_

 

“ _How about this then,” his father voiced out, quite yet deep. “I’ll tell you a story about long ago… and if you are still awake after that--“_

 

Fellby let out a small hum, the memory burning away with the rest of his thoughts.

 

He was finally laid on the couch, which felt more like home than his true home in Hotland. A blanket was placed on him and he felt a hand gently petting through his head flames again. A sound, almost like a purr, escaped him. Under normal circumstances, he would have been horrified to let something like this out but now, in this moment, he did not care.

 

Grillby kept talking or humming or something. There was faint sound and vibration.

Fellby felt the world going fuzzy and he was pulled under into the darkness, guided by a gentle voice and the unsaid promise of protection and unconditional love.

 

\--

 

Swabby and Papyrus had Sans cleaned up and dressed in fresh sheep printed pajamas.

He even woke up at the end of the wash, able to help a bit. He was still weak and wobbly, shivering a bit.

 

Papyrus was just glad to see his brother awake and aware. “Hey, brother. Would you like some tea?” he asked.

 

Swabby heated some water up, adding magic, sugar and tea leaves to the mix. After a moment of consideration, he also added some milk though the skeletons didn't seem to notice.

 

“Heh.. that would be.. tea-riffic, bro...” mumbled Sans, leaning heavily against Papyrus.

 

Papyrus frowned. “That one was terrible, brother,” he mumbled while petting his brother’s skull. “Even for your standards.”

 

“You like them,” Sans replied, his forehead leaning heavily against Papyrus's chest. “'s... is... uh...”

 

“Sans, you can't even do a pun,” Papyrus stated. “So uhm... rest a bit, okay? The others are worried too.”

 

It was testament to how exhausted Sans was that he didn't respond to that.

 

Sup par puns and no reaction to coaxing others out of him... Papyrus was really worried.

Fortunately, Swabby chose this moment to come over with the tea.

Together they got Sans to sip a bit from it with Papyrus patting Sans' back the whole time. Papyrus noticed the milk in the tea. Sans did not, one more reason to worry.

 

“Where're the others?” asked Sans after a while, blinking slowly.

 

“Pyru is with Saz in the library,” explained Papyrus, frowning as he tried to remember everything. “Said something about reading up on something... And Parz and Suny are helping dad around the house... I think I saw Parz doing the laundry and Suny cleaning our room.”

  
“Suny's always cleaning our room,” mumbled Sans, his voice muffled.

  
“Yeah...”

 

“But its good... keeps him from vibrating through the walls. Lil’ guy has way too much energy.”

 

“No, you are just lazy, bro.”

 

“Heh... you're right...” chuckled Sans weakly. He shivered and leaned more heavily against Papyrus. “I'm cold...”

 

Papyrus hugged him and felt, seconds later, warm arms wrapping around both of them as Swabby hugged them to himself. His flames were a bit colder than Grillby's and Fellby's but warm still. Still a flame. Papyrus snuggled into the warmth with his brother. “Thanks, Uncle Swabby.”

 

–

 

 

Asklepios arrived finally a bit later, an old monster that looked kind of like a snake mixed with a bird, who had bright white feathers with green accents and wings that formed his arms. His hazel-green eyes were glimmering when he saw Sans and he did not waste any time to summon his magic.

 

Deep green coated his thin hands, as he scanned the sick little skeleton. “It's a magical disease,” he concluded finally. “His magic is working like an infection in his bones. “

 

“An infection?” asked Swabby worried.

 

“Yes. It is a strain of something like stall magic. It infects healthy magical systems, especially in young children, and messes with the flow of magic. For Sans it's especially the magic that keeps his bones protected, that is why he feels cold and weak. His magic is fighting the sickness and tries to expel it, this is the discharge you are seeing but it leaves his body weak to outside temperatures,” Asklepios explained. “But you did the right things. Keeping him warm, cleaning him up and feeding him as much as you can. The sickness will disappear after a while and he will go back to his old self in no time.”

 

“So we can't do anything more?” asked Swabby with a small frown.

 

“Well, I can give you some medicine that will help raise the overall amount of magic he absorbs but it does not cure the sickness,” Asklepios stated, pulling out a bottle filled with a clear liquid. “It should help with the symptoms until his own magic overcomes it. You can put it into his food or drink to disguise the taste,” he continued, handing the bottle over to Swabby.

 

Grillby cleared his throat, gaining the healer’s attention. “What about Fellby?” he asked, pointing at the half-asleep flame on the couch.

 

“Well, he seems to gotten the sickness due to having a lot of unused magic,” mumbled Asklepios, glancing over to Fellby. “It would seem as though he does not use his natural magic often enough, resulting in an over-excess of magic... the sickness could latch onto and infect that easily. So it's just a matter of waiting it out. Just keep him warm and feed.” Asklepios stood and looked back to the flames. “Once he is better, we should talk about his magic habits.”

 

Grillby frowned a bit at that information. He saw Fellby using his fire magic often enough, but rarely anything else. So maybe Asklepios was right.

 

The rest of the children got a clean bill of health from the healer.

Pyru and Suny both were given florid tablets to help strengthen their teeth.

Papyrus was praised for taking good care of his brother and received a “Doctor’s Assistant” sticker from Asklepios as reward.

 

Saz and Parz were praised for taking the salves that helped with the cracks in their bones.

“You both have much better readings this time,” Asklepios stated, smiling at both of them. “You are doing very well. Also, I have the forms and information for you about the operations we have talked about.”

 

Both skeletons lit up at that, both of them receiving a stack of paper while Asklepios continued speaking to them in a calm voice.

  
“As you see, we have several options. We can begin with your hands because it holds the least risk for you and the greatest benefit.”

 

“So... it's possible?” asked Saz a bit hopeful, looking at his hands. The sharp, pointy fingers were formed to scratch and hurt, not to hold silverware or pens. He could barely remember the pain of getting his bones broken and re-assembled, but the result of Gaster’s manipulations were still there and still prominent in his and Parz' everyday life. When Asklepios said that there was a chance of correcting what was done to them, not just their hands but most of the ‘modifications’ and without the pain they had to get through to get them, both he and Parz jumped on the chance.

 

“It is entirely possible,” Asklepios said gently. “The magic behind it is a bit complicated but, in the end, you will have hands very similar to your brothers again which are fully functional and won't trouble you regardless of your form.”

 

Saz nodded. Functional hands that did not hurt doing simple, every day task, it sounded like a dream.

 

Parz was already reading over the paperwork. “Here is written that you can also do something for my eye,” mumbled Parz after a while, pointing at his skull where the old crack from their last faithful day in the lab was still prominent.

  
“Yes,” the healer responded gently. “I can't promise you that it will work fully but we can transform the crack a bit, perhaps make it smoother and easier for you to shift if you want. There would also be a 60% chance that your sight would increase… But this operation has some risks and I want for you to read everything very carefully and talk with your guardians about it.”

 

Grillby nodded at that, he would not force the boys to do something they did not want or were too frightened to do.

 

Parz seemed to think about it, glancing towards Fellby who was still more asleep than awake. “When will Uncle Fellby be healthy again?” he asked quietly, holding the papers close to himself.

 

“Oh, it will only take a few more days, little one,” Asklepios answered, patting him with one of his fluffy wings. “You will have your uncle back in all his glory very soon.”

 

Strangely, it worked and Parz begun to smile a tiny bit.

 

The healer could not stay long, having to go to his next client, and left the house with a promise of a checkup after handing out some candy for the children.

 

The rest of the day was uneventful, almost standard.

Grillby and Swabby took turns in caring for Fellby and Sans, making them tea and wiping the excess magic away while the other tended to homework and chores.

Papyrus still insisted in helping with caring for his brother and Fellby.

 

It was endearing.

 

Grillby watched Papyrus tucking Sans back in after helping him drink a bit of his tea, his eyes glowing... green? Grillby blinked at that. How strange... Could it be Papyrus' magic finally showing itself? Nevertheless, in a blink of an eye, the glow was gone and Grillby asked himself if he maybe just had imagined it.

Nighttime came and the strange glow did not come back.

Swabby took the children to bed and read them their goodnight story while Grillby stayed behind with Fellby and Sans.

 

Sans was deep asleep again, but looked restful now. His little chest expanded gently with each intake of air.

 

Grillby himself was sitting on the couch with Fellby’s head in his lap when he noticed him stirring.

 

Tired white eyes glanced up at him, looking strangely unguarded without the dark glasses... it reminded Grillby of the time a few years back, when he found Fellby badly hurt from water, Saz and Parz within his arms...

 

“Hey,” he hummed out gently to Fellby. “You want some tea?”

 

Fellby shook his head a tiny bit, looking away to Sans, relaxing when he saw the boy sleeping.

 

“Asklepios was here,” explained Grillby. “Said you got infected because you have not used your natural magic enough.”

 

“Hmph,” huffed Fellby, refusing to look Grillby in the eyes. “I don't wanna.”

 

“Why?”

 

Fellby stayed silent for a while, both of them looking at nothing in particular.

 

Time ticked by as Grillby continued to pet through Fellby’s head flames. He hated to admit but this was oddly peaceful and he felt a bit sad that times such as these could not happen when both Sans and Fellby were feeling up to par.

 

“Papyrus got healing magic,” said Fellby suddenly, unexpectedly. “Green soul and green magic, the whole deal... he accidentally checked on Sans and freaked a bit.”

 

“Huh? He does?”

 

“Kid is freaking kind, it's no wonder,” he continued on, mumbling as if he had not heard Grillby’s question. “Even after all the crap he went through...”

 

“I thought I was seeing things,” Grillby spoke up, remembering the strange green glow in Papyrus' eyes earlier that day. “Well, that explains that... perhaps we should inform Asklepios the next time he visits and he can give Papyrus some pointers or even proper training.”

 

“No,” said Fellby suddenly, voice strong and sure at that point.

 

Grillby blinked at that, looking down to him.

 

“I’ll train him.”

 

“You…” Grillby began, trying to think out his words before speaking further. “You want to train him… in healing magic?”

 

“Yeah,” confirmed Fellby in not quite a whisper.

 

“You can’t just…” Grillby trailed off with a sigh.

 

There was a beat of silent between them while Grillby tried to figure thing out and Fellby looked away, almost guiltily.

 

“Fellby? Do you...” begun Grillby, not sure how to ask. The color of ones soul and personal magic was... well... personal for many monsters. He, himself, and Swabby had no problem in showing and stating their color but he assumed that, for whatever reason, Fellby was not the type to share his.

 

Fellby just nodded, confirming his magic.

 

Grillby blinked at that. “Huh.” He smiled gently and petted through his cousin’s flames hair. “Well... you always had a kind soul,” he said lightly. “It isn’t surprising.” He felt Fellby taking a deep breath, his eyes still not meeting his.

 

“... I don't like it,” he mumbled quietly and Grillby was surprised to hear a bit of fear in his voice.

 

“Your magic?” asked Grillby.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Asklepios' words came back to Grillby's mind. Fellby did not use his personal magic enough; the magic just built up and got stale, infected by the same stuff that runs through Sans' bones. “Is that why you don't use it?”

 

A nod.

 

Grillby felt the movement more than he saw it. “Why?”

 

There was silence again, Fellby still not looking at him.

 

Grillby just kept holding him, waiting. He noticed the upset flickering of the paler-than-usual blue flames. He saw the almost haunted look in Fellby’s eyes and felt how one of Fellby’s hands formed into a fist. He did not really expect an answer anymore, when Fellby finally spoke.

 

“I got my magic when I was six... after we moved away...” he mumbled finally.

 

Grillby remained silent, letting Fellby speak.

 

“The humans took me because of it.”

 

Grillby knew what Fellby was talking about and dreaded all the implications behind the statement. The small bit he knew of his cousin’s past was horrible enough but something told Grillby that he did not even know half of it. He pulled Fellby closer and felt the flame grasp onto his shirt, still trembling against him. Grillby let himself heat up a bit, trying to warm the other but he knew that the shivers did not come from the sickness.

 

“I wanted to tell you,” Fellby slurred out, his mind foggy from the illness. “I thought I could go back and cure you from being boring... and then it would be like before.”

 

Grillby looked away, time-distorted memories playing out in his mind’s eye.

His dear friend in tears because he could not play with him. A promise broken and tiny hands that held him as a voice screamed at him. His own bitter tears that he disappointed and hurt his best friend at the same time could not do anything to prevent this.

 

“... I'm so sorry I disappointed you,” whispered Grillby, surprised at how fresh the hurt still felt. It was not his fault; it was not anyone’s fault. Nevertheless, Fellby paid a terrible price.

 

“No... I was a brat, Grills... I didn't understand and was unfair,” mumbled Fellby quietly and looked up to him. “And I stayed unfair to you because it was easier, you know? You didn't write because it was your fault. You didn't came for me, so you betrayed me. I felt like crap so-”

  
“So you blamed me because then there was a reason and not just senseless cruelty,” finished Grillby, holding Fellby a bit more to himself. “You don't know how much I wish I knew and could have gotten to you.”

 

Fellby made an upset sounding noise, his hands weakly holding on to him.

 

“Shit Grills, I never...” He let out an angry growl. “I was so proud of this and they... they took it and made it bad for me. I hate this. I loved this and now I hate it and I hate it that I hate it... and ugh” Fellby’s speech degenerated into babbles.

 

Grillby made some shushing sounds as he petted the flickering blue flames, trying to calm him down. “I'm here now, Fells,” he whispered, “and no one will hurt you ever again.”

 

Fellby snorted at that.

 

They sat again in silence, Grillby listening to the soft breathing of the other flame.

 

“Can... you stay?” asked Fellby, his voice tiny and hesitant that it nearly broke Grillby's heart right there.

 

“Of course.” The answer came quickly, without thought behind it. Because the truth is there is very little he wouldn't do for his family. Moreover, even less that he would not do for Fellby.

 

“Thanks, Grills,” came the muffed reply.

 

“It's no problem,” Grillby smiled softly. “Now rest. I promise that I'll stay with you.”

 

“Don't tell anybody?” mumbled Fellby tiredly, still with a hint of fear. It was ridiculous, there were not any humans in the Underground and more-than-likely nothing would happen if anybody knew about his magic, but still...

  
“If you wish so, I won't tell,” promised Grillby.

 

Fellby relaxed within the strong arms. “... Yeah. I... I know that nothing will happen, but...”

 

“You are afraid. I understand. Don't worry and sleep,” whispered Grillby again.

 

It got Fellby to chuckle lowly. “Heh.” There was some silence again, before Fellby begun to shiver once more. “I'm cold,” he mumbled.

 

Grillby looked down on him, knowing that the cold was not just from sickness or temperature. Moreover, he remembered a time where the solution for this problem was offered easily between them… however, they were older now and it might be strange due to the distance that grew between them. “... I could... you know...” he mumbled, not sure how to say it.

 

Fellby looked at him, a strange hope in his eyes. “Would you?”

 

“I have a lot to give and you need it.”

 

“Don't make me ask for it.”

 

“Alright,” Grillby chuckled and shifted Fellby a bit in his grip.

 

Fellby took a deep breath, concentrating on this feeling.

 

A hand resting on his stomach, over his core. A forehead pressed against his own. A body that breathed with him, flames flickering against his own. The hand got warmer and heat seeped into his being, warming his core, warming his very self.

 

The bath earlier was nice, but this felt amazing.

 

It had been so long he shared heat with anybody. It was a flame thing, a gesture of comfort and affection reserved for family, close friends and lovers.

 

He had not had any of that for a long time. He closed his eyes, relaxing more and more, flames turn rich blue with a dash of violet.

 

–

 

Sans finally regained a somewhat clear mind a day later even though Fellby was still pretty out of it.

 

Papyrus dutifully still fed and helped clean him up, gaining praise from Swabby for it. Papyrus felt proud for it, he could finally do something for his big brother. Moreover, to be perfectly honest about it, Papyrus enjoyed being able to do something nobody else could.

It was hard keeping his new magic a secret though… A part of him wanted to scream it out, to let the world know that he, the Great Healer Papyrus, would one day heal everybody and take all the hurt away because he would be the best healer and greatest friend of them all!

There was a girl in school who told him that there were even healer in the Royal Guards and Papyrus knew that this would be what he wanted to be; a member of the Royal Guard and a Great Healer. He would help everybody with their problems, making them smile and be healthy again! He just wished he could do it all already... but the Royal Guards only let adults in and even if Fellby promised him to show him healing magic, his uncle was sick himself at the moment and in no shape to teach anybody anything.

 

“Bro,” complained Sans after a bit, “if you wipe my skull one more time I think it will get thinner than a sheet of paper.”

 

“Oh, sorry, brother,” mumbled Papyrus placing the cloth away and smiling a bit sheepishly.

 

Sans smiled a bit at him, his white eyes flickering. “It's alright, just go easy there.”

 

“Uncle Fellby said that I am too soft.”

 

“Uncle Fellby isn't all here.”

 

“I heard that, brat.”

 

Both of them looked at their half-asleep uncle, his blue flames still burning low but his grip on Sans never waving.

 

“Uncle Fellby, dad said you should sleep,” stated Papyrus. “You can't talk in your sleep.”

 

“Hn... never heard you guys talking up a storm, huh?” Fellby slurred. “I think I heard Pyru talking about honey bees at least a few times.”

 

Both boys had to chuckle at that. Their brother sure had a strange fascination with honey. Almost as strange as Sans' own fascination with ketchup.

 

As if on cue, Pyru came into the living room, carrying Saz in his arms and grinning widely. A shout of “BRING HIM BACK!” followed him as he ran towards them and hid behind the couch, still giggling.

 

Papyrus looked at Saz who seemed to be in a state of silent acceptance. “What’s going on?”

 

“Shhhh,” whispered Pyru, still trying to hide in the space behind the couch.

 

“Pyru?” asked Sans, blinking in confusion.

 

“I'm not here,” Pyru whispered again, winking at both of them.

 

Barely a second later Parz came running into the living room, his eyes glowing red with magic. “PYRU, COME OUT NOW AND GIVE BACK SAZ! I KNOW YOU’RE HERE!”

 

“Did Pyru steal Saz again?” questioned Sans, humor in his voice.

 

“WHERE IS HE?”

 

“Ugh, you brats are too loud,” Fellby groaned out before reaching out to Parz. “You, Parz, come here.”

 

Parz blinked at the sudden request but came closer.

 

As soon as Parz was close enough, Fellby let go of Sans and with one arm pulled Parz to himself like a flytrap closing around its prey.

 

Parz was too startled to really put up a fight and was completely captured and cuddled by Fellby.

 

“Hi,” said Sans beside him, now pressed against Parz’ body.

 

Papyrus blinked.

 

Sans grinned lazily, still feeling too weak to move.

 

Parz had honestly no idea how to react.

 

Pyru stood up suddenly with Saz still held within his arms. “Uncle Fellby, you’re not suppose to steal Parz!” he complained.

 

“Tough luck,” mumbled Fellby, still cuddling the two skeletons in his arms. “Get your own.”

 

“Do we have to do this every time?” groaned Saz, still dangling from Pyru’s arms and looking entirely resigned to the situation.

 

“Brothers! Fellby! Stop!” proclaimed Papyrus and stood up, crossing his arms over his chest and half glaring at his family. “This simply won't do. Uncle Fellby is still sick and so is Sans and you guys do nothing but lollygagging. This stops now and I, the Great Papyrus, will put a stop to it!”

 

“Uh,” Pyru hummed, not quite sure what to say. “All power to you, bro?”

 

“How are you going to stop this?” asked Sans, muffled against Parz’ side.

 

“Like this!” With these words, Papyrus tackled Pyru, sending him together with Saz flying to the couch and into Fellby.

 

Their uncle had just enough time to open his arms to catch all of them as they crashed into him. For a moment, there was a bit of confusion of blue fire and bones but it ended with Fellby still lying on the couch, his arms and everything else full with skeleton children. “Uff! Brats, you’re getting too heavy for this,” he complained. “All of you are growing up way too fast…”

 

“No we're not,” stated Pyru giggling a bit. Somehow, he managed to keep his hold on Saz but was now forced to share him with Papyrus and Parz.

 

“Well, that just happened,” chuckled Sans.

 

“Awwww! Are you doing a cuddle pile without telling me?” All of them turned around slowly and Papyrus could see his smallest brother standing there and looking mock-upset. “Not fair!”

 

“We are NOT doing a cuddle pile!” Parz growled out. “I’m being held hostage.”

 

“Pyru stole Saz again,” explained Sans giggling.

 

Suny nodded at that, a thoughtful expression running over his skull before he begun to grin again.

 

Papyrus knew that grin. It meant that Suny had an idea.

The little skeleton shifted into his canine form and backed up a bit before breaking into a sprint. He jumped and crashed into them with a high-pitched happy yelp.

 

Somehow, Fellby managed to shift all of them so he could catch Suny too. The result being all of them cuddled together on top of Fellby.

 

“Uff.” Pyru nuzzled against his brother’s skull, earning a happy yip. “Suny, you are the king of entrances.”

 

“And you brats are too noisy,” mumbled Fellby as he shifted a bit, still holding the boys close. “And heavy.”

 

“Dad said you should sleep more,” Suny stated upon shifting back. “We should make this a nap-pile. See? Saz is already asleep.”

 

Papyrus turned his head and saw that Suny was right; Saz was out like a light. Papyrus refrained from calling him lazy. Being kidnapped surely took all of his energy out of him.

 

“Nap-pile sounds good,” yawned Sans. “Great idea, bro.”

 

“Yeah... Fellby, we’re taking a nap,” decided Pyru and curled up a bit more, yawning and snuggling into his brothers and uncle.

 

“H...hey, brats...” protested Fellby weakly, clearly a bit overwhelmed with the sudden development.

 

“Dad really said you should sleep, Uncle Fellby,” Papyrus repeated. “And I, the Great Hea- uh Papyrus, say that we should do so.”

 

Fellby sighed deeply, his flames flickering weakly. “Alright, alright... let's sleep then.”

 

Papyrus felt a bit tired himself. Practicing his Check ability took a lot out of him... Therefore, he closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off like his brothers. He was almost asleep as he felt a gentle warmth move over his bones and heard a whispered “I love you, brats.”

 

When Swabby came in a few moments later to check on them, he found all of them passed out on the couch, Fellby holding all of the children possessively. He chuckled and a new picture was added to his stack of “Cute moments” in his blackmail material.

 

He gave Grillby a copy though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, we hope you had fun with this. We had. XD (It was supposed to be more about Papyrus and Sans... Fellby stole the spotlight. Again. XD)
> 
> AND FANART. Boy, do we have a lot of this, thank you so much for this because wow. Just... just wow. 
> 
> By Pippa-Frost (pippa-frost.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Father's day cuteness  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146202514416/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-hey-so-here-are
> 
> Colored version of Swabby and Saz cuteness  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146713831111/pippa-frost-hey-so-heres-the-coloured-version
> 
> Colored version of awesome Parz  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146761747751/pippa-frost-heres-the-coloured-version-of
> 
> Pencil version of the trapped-in-your-PC-thing  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146776640176/pippa-frost-heyy-so-i-took-a-little-break-and
> 
> Fellby singing to Pyru colored version  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/147532460531/pippa-frost-i-did-it-falls-asleep-hope
> 
> Colored Trapped-in-you-PC-thing, can be used as background. ^^  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/147532849666/pippa-frost-okay-guys-its-finally-done-im
> 
> The beginning of a comic made by pippa-frost, depicting the events of Gasters return... it will be a different timeline from the main-timeline thou  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/147635534041/pippa-frost-hey-so-i-asked-antarestyl-and  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/147849363766/pippa-frost-hello-so-first-part-of-lost
> 
>  
> 
> By Dealdraws (http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Grillby's secret weapon  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146027025506/dealdraws-antarestyl-namekian-maoh
> 
> Grillby as... the candy-man! XD  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146027189536/dealdraws-grillby-the-silent-hero-of-the
> 
> Father's day presents with proud dads  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146172098221/can-u-draw-something-4-the-flames-4-fathers
> 
> Fellby kicking at your PC/Phone screen  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/146881537861/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-fellby-dont-break
> 
> ((I just hope we got everything. XD))  
> Again, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND EVERYTHING, especially with RL being stressful for both of us. Until next time then. ^^


	14. The path to the future - School Day Jitters part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are free from the looming shadow that was Gaster. Free to do as they pleased and not forced to stay hidden anymore, they enjoy their newfound freedom. But with Freedom comes also responsibility. Namely... School.
> 
> The first part in the First School Days series.

 

 

Shortly after Gaster met his demise and some of the more challenging paperwork was finished, most of which had to do with how difficult it was to assign Fellby as a legal guardian of the children along with himself and Swabby of course (but it was so worth the look on his face when Asgore handed him the official papers to sign), there came other things to Grillby's mind.

Namely the future.

The last 18 months were more or less focused on keeping the children safe and hidden away from the unknown monster, later to be given the name Gaster, who had hurt them. Therefore, the children had stayed mostly inside, playing with them and learning little life lessons whenever given the chance.

The birthday trip into the snow was a rare occurrence for the time.

But now?

There was no looming shadow about all of them anymore.

The kids were finally and completely free!

But with freedom came also responsibility.

 

Fellby frowned. “You want to what?”

 

“I want to sign them in at the local school," repeated Grillby, arms crossing. “We can't homeschool them in everything and they need to interact with others of their age.”

 

“I think it's a bad idea," argued Fellby immediately.

 

“Why?”

 

“It just is.”

 

Grillby sighed deeply and put a hand to his forehead. As much as he loved his cousin, sometimes he was just frustrating to work with. “Fellby, it is not a debate. They need to go to school and Snowdin has a very good one.”, he stated. “It's not too big so they won't be overwhelmed by too many people and they place the children in classes depending on their level not their age, as well as allowing the children to choose a lot of what they want to learn...”

 

“What if they get bullied?”, interrupted Fellby him, prompting Grillby to sigh out loud.

 

“Then we will find a solution for that," he replied softly. “And you know our children are resourceful and clever, they would more-than-likely be able to deal with such an issue themselves.”

 

Fellby huffed, turning his head away from Grillby, clearly knowing that Grillby was right but unable to admit it out loud..

 

Grillby smiled a bit more. ‘Our children’ it was nice saying it like this. The children they would raise together; himself, Fellby and Swabby. Well, one could hardly hide six adorable skeleton children from a twisted scientist and not become attached to each other...

 

Moreover, Grillby himself did not like the idea of sending the children to school any better than Fellby but he knew it had to be done. They could not shelter them their whole lives… especially Papyrus and Suny who, with their high-energy levels, needed a social outlet.

 

“Okay, fine," mumbled Fellby finally. “But we'll take them there every day. And they'll eat lunch at your bar,” he declared, continuing, looking up again and straight into Grillby's eyes. “Who knows what they'd feed the brats at that place.”

 

Grillby chuckled. “Alright, deal," he said softly and shook Fellby's hand, much to his cousin’s confusion.

 

* * *

 

Grillby was in the kitchen, making breakfast as per usual except for the fact that today he nearly burnt the eggs as he was lost in thought about the children who would be going to their very first day of school in just a few short moments…

 

It was not an easy decision. But they had prepared the children as best as they could. He and Swabby had taught the boys some basics such as reading and writing and Grillby even caught Fellby showing the boys simple mathematics when he thought no one was watching.

But they really did need a higher education.

 

Nevertheless, Grillby could not push away his worry, Fellby’s words coming back to haunt him. What if the children were bullied? Picked on because they were so different from the other children… or worse yet, because of their ever present scars? After all, children could be so cruel without truly meaning to…

 

What made matters even worse was the fact that Fellby had yet to return. He went for one of his trips to Hotland four weeks ago and had promised to be back in time for the children’s departure. Grillby really hoped that his cousin had not forgotten about the beginning of school… but knowing Fellby, he had wanted to forget. Sometimes Fellby was more than a bit frustrating.

 

Grillby was pulled from his musings when the clock beside him let out a single gong. He sighed softly and put on a smile, placing plates on the table. The children would be down any moment.

Swabby bought them a very cute and funny looking alarm clock shortly after Grillby informed him of his idea about their schooling, but knowing Papyrus and Suny they were up and ready, excited for the day ahead.

Grillby chuckled to himself as he placed orange juice and milk on the table.

 

* * *

 

 

Upstairs Swabby was knocking on the door to the children's room, chuckling already as he heard the sounds of the usual morning struggle. “Good morning, children. Are you up already?”

 

“Almost, Uncle Swabby!” Pyru's voice came from the door, together with some muttered “Come on Parz, this is getting ridiculous.”

 

“We might need some help," said Sans in a lower voice.

 

Swabby chuckled and entered the room, looking at the scene.

Sans, Papyrus, Pyru and Suny were up and already in their clothes, if only a bit rough and a few buttons not done up properly. Whereas Parz and Saz were still in bed with Parz being determined to a) stay in bed and b) not let Saz out either.

The look of conflict between joy and distress on Saz' face was rather unique.

 

“Paaaaarz!” dragged out Papyrus as he half tugged at the shoulder of his brother. “You have to get up now!”

 

The only thing he got from that was a low growl, an attempt to shrug him off and that Parz curled even more around Saz, burying his face into the shoulder of his brother.

 

Suny huffed at that and crossed his arms. “Parz, it's morning!” he stated. “We're supposed to go to um... uh... the scotch or something!”

 

“You don't even know what it is," Parz grumbled.

 

“Grillby said we'd have fun,” mumbled Suny pouting, unable to disprove Parz' claim. Sure, Grillby and Swabby had sat them down and told them about everything but, to be honest, the whole concept was still a big mystery for Suny.

 

“And there's other kids! Like us!!” chipped Papyrus excited.

 

“Go away,” Parz growled out once more, trying to turn around and block out the voices that reminded him that there was physical time outside of bed.

 

“So... what is the problem?” Swabby questioned finally, trying to keep from laughing out right.

 

“Parz won't let go of Saz," mumbled Sans with a glance to Parz. “Like usual.”

 

“He is hogging him!” accused Pyru, huffing and crossing his arms very much like Suny.

 

The scene made Swabby chuckle even more. He kneed down beside the children, looking at the situation before finally patting Parz' skull. “Hey, little guy," he said gently. “It's your first day at school. You wouldn't want to miss it, would you?”

 

Parz made a little sound and turned his head, looking towards the flame.

Saz followed suit when he felt the movement.  


Swabby reached over and pet Saz too. “Come on, get up. You are going to have lots of fun today and meet other kids too," he smiled. “AND Grillby is making breakfast,” he added chuckling. Usually the promise of breakfast made by Grillby moved things along a bit.

 

Suny behind him begun hopping around excitedly at these world, grinning widely and eyes shining bright blue. “COME ON COME ON COME ON!!” he cried. “We are going to be late!”

 

“Yeah we CAN’T be late!!” added Papyrus.

 

Parz let out a grumble. “I don't wanna meet others.” But he finally let go of Saz and sat up.

 

“I know, Parz," sighed Swabby gently, petting carefully over Parz' skull again. “You don't have to do much with them but you can't stay forever in this house... even Fellby knows some people outside of this family and meets with them from time to time,” he explained as he looked over the others. “And you all come back here, we are going to fix you up a bit.” He chuckled, looking at Suny’s shirt that had only one button done and Papyrus who wore his pants backwards.

 

Both of them came back to Swabby looking a bit sheepish. They got better in the whole putting-on-clothes thing but they tended to get very excited as they did so and it showed.

Pyru in the meantime got Parz' and Saz' clothing while Sans just sat down beside Swabby, watching him correct Papyrus' clothes.

 

“I kinda wonder how things will be like,” Sans mumbled and looked up to Swabby, a strange look entering his eyes. A look Swabby knew all too well. “Is everything is safe?”

 

“Yes,” replied Swabby gently. “Grillby made sure that everything is safe.”

 

Sans just nodded and settled down again.

Swabby released Papyrus and begun fixing Suny's shirt up. He was almost vibrating with exciting, to a point where it got difficult to hold him let alone try to fix his clothing.

 

“AND THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER KIDS?!?” asked Papyrus who begun vibrating too. The excitement in the room became almost palatable.

 

“Yes, they are," Swabby chuckled. “Well, not TOO many… Snowdin is pretty small,” he added thoughtfully. “But more than you are used too.” He finished fixing Suny's clothes and patted him gently before turning to Saz and Parz.

Unlike their siblings, they still needed a lot of help; their skulls being too jagged and their hands forming claws which made it difficult to work with the delicate fabric. Gaster had made sure the little bodies were weapons to be used to hurt and destroy and not for, well... being kids… or living a normal life.

 

Seeing Gaster for himself and hearing him just for a few short minutes was enough to bring Swabby nightmares about what their poor children had to endure. He felt terrible admitting it to himself, but he was glad that Gaster was no more. He knew he should not think like that but after meeting the man and seeing that he showed no regret, that he even took PRIDE in what he had done to the children and seeing them struggle each day around the ‘modifications’ he gave them...

 

“What if we don't like it?” asked Saz, pulling Swabby from his thoughts.

 

“Grillby spoke with the teachers,” Swabby replied gently. “If you are really uncomfortable, we’ll come pick you up. But you should at least try.”

 

“And... we will learn stuff there?” questioned Sans, still watching the flame.

 

“That's the idea.”

 

“AND WE CAN PLAY!” exclaimed Suny even more excited. “SO MANY NEW PEOPLE TO PLAY WITH!”

 

“You can... you just have to listen to what the teacher is telling you, Suny,” Swabby agreed, chuckling once more.

 

“Will it hurt?” whispered out Saz.

 

Swabby looked down to him, feeling his heart breaking. He leaned down and pulled the boy into a hug, together with Parz. “No," he said quietly, nuzzling against the two. “It won't hurt, I promise. Learning should never, ever hurt and if anything or anyone hurts you, you'll tell us right away, okay?”

 

Saz only nodded within Swabby’s arms. Parz looked up to the flame at this information, seemingly working the words around in his mind.

 

“I WILL! I LISTEN REALLY GOOD!” shouted Suny excited.

 

“ME TOO!!” echoed Papyrus, grinning widely.

 

Swabby let go of Saz and chuckled at the antics of Papyrus and Suny. “I know you will,” he stated smiling, patting both of them before moving to correct Papyrus' clothes which were ruffled once more.

 

The children finally seemed to settle down a bit, even Saz was smiling shyly as Swabby stood up and looked over all of them. Welp, he supposed it would not get better. “Alright,” he sighed slightly out of breath. “Everybody ready for breakfast then?”

 

There was a loud cheer, mostly from Suny and Papyrus, that left Sans and Pyru grinning.

 

Parz frowned, rubbing his skull. “You're too loud,” he complained.

 

Swabby looked at him and made a decision. He turned around to the other children and smiled. “You know what? You go along to Grillby while I help Saz and Parz a bit, okay?”

 

“Okay,” agreed Sans, turning to his brothers. “Come on, bros.”

 

“Breakfast!” cheered Pyru as he herded Suny and Papyrus out of the room, turning around before fully exiting the room to look from Swabby to Saz and Parz with a hint of worry upon his features.

 

Swabby smiled at him, trying to calm his worries.

 

Saz stayed at Parz' side, watching the others leave.

 

“Don't be too long!” reminded Papyrus as he was being pushed out of the doorway.

 

Swabby chuckled as he corrected Saz' and Parz' clothing a bit more, looking them over. “You don't have to be afraid," he said gently. “Me and Grillby are there for you as soon as you need us."

 

“I'm not afraid," Parz stated quickly, almost pouting.

 

“Of course not," Swabby corrected himself, smiling a bit. “But if you were, it would not be a bad thing. It's something new and new is always a bit scary at first... But I am sure you will like school.”

 

“When will Fellby be back?” asked Saz after a while, voice quiet.

 

Swabby hesitated for a second. “Eh... he said he had something to do so... it might take a few more days...” he mumbled. “But I’m sure he will be back very soon...” At the looks he received from both boys, he just had to hug them tightly to himself. “He loves you just as much as me and Grillby love you," Swabby whispered. “Don't forget that.”

 

“Can't we just wait until he's back?” asked Parz quietly, leaning a tiny bit into the warm hug.

 

“Unfortunately, no," sighed Swabby, petting Parz gently. “There are some things we can't change... but look at it like this: When he comes back you can tell him how brave you were and how much fun you had. And I am sure you'll do just fine.”

Swabby soul melted just a bit when Saz hugged him tightly at those words.

 

“And what if it isn't ‘fun’?” asked Parz after a pause, still not entirely sold on the idea.

 

“Then we will find a new solution," offered Swabby. “I won't lie, sometimes school is not all fun because, well, you will need to learn some boring stuff too... But nothing there will hurt you," he added, still gently petting over both of them while the children seemed to think about what he said.

When he didn't get any answer for a while, he just hugged them again, picking them up like that. Oof both of them were finally putting on some weight. Not much, mind you, but noticeable. “How about breakfast for now, huh?” he asked.

 

Parz just looked up to him, an almost pleading look on his face. “Uncle Fellby really isn't back?” he asked quietly.

 

Swabby sighed. “Not yet, sadly," he answered softly. “But he will be soon... And look at it this way... the time will pass faster when you are at school.”

 

Parz frowned. “How does that work?”

 

“You will have something to distract your attention and time passes much faster like that,” answers Swabby. “Don't worry too much about it.”

 

“But there still all the same time there...” argued Parz frowning and with a hint of confusion.

 

“Yes... but it will seem like less time for you.”

 

Parz’ frown deepened. “That ... makes no sense,” he stated in a serious but honestly confused tone.

 

“I know,” he admitted, nuzzling Parz affectionately. “But still, it works.”

Parz did not seem to actually accept that answer but remained silent.

“So... ready to face the others now?” Swabby asked again after a beat of silence.

 

“I'm hungry,” agreed Parz.

 

Saz nodded in reply.

 

“Well, let's get some breakfast into you then,” he announced, shifting both of them in his arms and carried them downstairs where the smell of breakfast and amused voices greeted them.

 

* * *

 

 

“Good morning, children,” Grillby in the meantime greeted while four of his children found their seats. “I hope you are hungry,” he added before turning around, his eyes scanning over them and the other four empty chairs. “Where are Swabby, Saz and Parz?”

 

“They're still getting ready!” chirped Suny while eyeing the table, eyes drawn to the bottle of honey.

 

“Yeah Parz was being a lazy bones!” exclaimed Papyrus. “Again.”

 

“AND he didn't want to let go of Saz!” added Suny. “... again too,” he continued after a pause.

 

“Oh?” It was a usual topic for Grillby to hear so early in the morning. It seemed that, as of late, there was always trouble getting Parz to release Saz… He shook his head slightly, smiling as he placed scrambled eggs and toasts on the empty plates.

 

“He keeps hogging Saz,” Pyru mumbled out. “It's not fair.”

 

Sans giggled at the statement.

 

“It's true!” he insisted, causing Suny to begin giggling too.

 

“Only at night time, though,” added Suny.

 

“Yeah and that was only after Saz hid his bunny bear,” commented Papyrus thoughtfully with a frown.

 

Grillby raised an eyebrow at that.

 

“Yeah and since then Parz keeps hogging Saz and won't let anybody else cuddle with him,” complained Pyru and huffed, crossing his arms.

 

“And what does Saz say to this?” asked Grillby with a barely suppressed smile.

 

“I think he likes the cuddling,” answered Sans honestly “Parz still needs lessons how to be nice on top of that.”

 

“Yeah he can be really mean sometimes!” agreed Papyrus. “And not just to Saz...” he added a bit subdued.

 

Grillby knew exactly what the children were talking about.

A reason more Fellby was deeply missed when he was away… his presents usually had a good effect on Parz and Saz.

Grillby's frown deepened a bit more with a glance to the calendar. It's been almost a month now.

 

“He doesn't like it when we hug on Saz,” continued Suny, almost whining.

 

“Like I said, he keeps hogging him!”

 

Grillby focused back at the conversation at hand. “Children... you know him; he is a bit... special.” Not just a special but how could he explain something he lacks the words for himself? “That is one more reason why we want you all to go to school. Parz especially needs to learn how to act around others.”

 

“What do you mean?” asked Suny while he stealthy tried to get a bit closer to the honey.

 

Grillby petted Suny with one hand and moved the honey away with the other. “I mean that Parz never really learned how to be around other people,” he replied truthfully, ignoring the pout the little skeleton was sporting when he realized that his plan was thwarted. “And he needs to learn that in order to grow up healthily. School would be good in that area for him.”

 

Sans perked up a bit at that information. “So he will learn to be nicer to Saz?”

 

Grillby just nodded slowly. It was a fairly simple explanation and, well, they all knew that Parz cared about his brother very much but was unable to express his feelings accordingly. That and the scars of what Gaster did to them still ran deep, only just beginning to heal.

 

“Oh... okay,” muttered Suny still a bit miffed about missing his chance with the honey.

 

“Parz really needs to be nicer some times,” mumbled Papyrus while sipping on his milk.

 

Pyru agreed with a hum while reaching for the honey himself.

Grillby kept an eye on both him and Suny during that.

 

“It would be easier with uncle Fellby around,” claimed Sans while finishing his breakfast. “When will he be back?”

 

“He said in a few days,” answered Grillby though he knew that the blue flame had said the same for at least two weeks straight. “Don't worry,” he added gently. “Fellby will be home soon.”

 

“What IS Uncle Fellby doing anyway?” asked Papyrus curiously.

 

Grillby hesitated for a moment. He was not as ignorant about the escapades of his cousin as he sometimes pretended to be but he also was the first to admit to not knowing the full story... and he did not want to shatter the glorified image the children had of Fellby.

“No doubt getting into trouble,” he sighed out after a long pause. “Don't worry, he'll be fine.”

At least he didn't have to lie to the children.

 

Sans looked up to the flame elemental, a questioning look in his wide eyes. “Trouble?”

 

“Nothing bad,” Grillby ensured him and smiled. “Fellby is just a bit... uhm...” How to say that nicely?

 

“Silly?” offered Pyru.

 

“Silly,” agreed Grillby with a chuckle.

 

“But why does Uncle Fellby want to get into trouble?” asked Papyrus confused. “That doesn't sound like fun at all.”

 

“Because Fellby is a bit… well a bit foolish,” explained Grillby. “He doesn't WANT to get in trouble... trouble, however, tends to find him easily.”

 

“Maybe he should wear some trouble-go-away spray,” Suny suggested, eating his pancakes now with some chopped up fruits.

 

“Yeah like when you had to spray away the bugs,” joined Papyrus.

 

Grillby laughed a bit at that mental image. “Well if there was a thing like this, I would give it to him in an instant.”

 

“We could make one!” insisted Sans thoughtfully. “It wouldn't be THAT difficult...”

 

“But how?” asked Pyru.

 

“Uhhh... well...”

 

“Lots of glitter!” shouted Suny excitedly, his tiny hands held high in the air.

 

“Hmmm and um... maybe some glue? You can't find trouble if you’re stuck in one place,” added Papyrus prompting Grillby to hold a hand in front of his mouth to stifle his laughter.

 

“Yeah,” chirped Suny, tapping his chin with one finger as he tried to think up what else would be good for keeping away trouble. “And maybe garlic? Like... it keeps away bad vampires so maybe trouble too?”

 

“And something soft,” added Pyru, “like feathers!”

Grillby felt his self-control taking severe hits with each new idea. His flames begun to flicker with his amusement.

 

“But garlic is yucky smelling,” Papyrus pointed out, making a face.

 

“Yeah... Uncle Fellby would stink,” sighed Suny in afterthought.

 

“Uncle Fellby doesn't stink!” came a protesting voice from the door.

Grillby turned around to see Swabby standing in the doorframe with Parz and Saz in his arm, looking confused while both Saz and Parz carried an offended look.

Grillby was unsuccessful in stopping his laughter.

 

“He would if he was sprayed with trouble-away-spray with garlic,” countered Pyru.

 

Saz frowned. “Why do you want to spray him with garlic?”

 

“To keep the trouble away,” answered Sans as if it was the most natural response ever.

 

Swabby just looked at Grillby, who had managed to reduce his laughter to a light chuckle, confused.

 

“It's... a long story," he offered while Swabby sat down at the table.

 

“Alright I guess," the yellow flame mumbled out, looking over the table and smiling down at his own plate, setting both Parz and Saz down at their seats.

 

“Still,” Parz huffed, glaring at his brothers. “Uncle Fellby doesn't stink.”

 

“Maybe not the garlic then...” mumbled Suny. “But what else keeps trouble away?”

 

Sans just pointed at Grillby. “The angel usually does.”

 

“We can't spray Fellby with Grillby,” groaned Pyru, which prompted both flames to stifle their laughter once more.

The slow and sage-like nod the others were giving the boy at his response nearly sent Grillby over the edge.

 

Papyrus scratched the back of his skull, obviously thinking hard on the subject. “It's a puzzle. A hard one,” he mumbled.

 

“Maybe if he wore Grillby's clothes,” Suny thought out loud. “Or Grillby gave him hugs so that he'll smell like him...”

 

That prompted Grillby to make a rather undignified sound.

 

Swabby laughed freely. “I think Grillby needs his clothing.”

 

“But it's a good idea! Maybe we can make him a talisman,” replied Sans, looking as if he was already considering how to do that.

 

Grillby had a bad feeling that a remake of the summoning ritual was on the horizon.

 

“But we have no clue how to do that,” Papyrus reminded them.

 

“We could just ask him to stay here,” mumbled Saz quietly.

 

Parz just kept glaring at Suny, still offended by what his brother had said upon their arrival.

 

“I meant not all of his clothes!” Suny continued on the last idea they had. “I mean just SOME of them!”

 

“Grillby has like... two T-shirts,” snorted Pyru.

 

“…why do you know that?” Saz questioned, looking towards Pyru.

 

“I hid in the closet the last time we played hide and seek.”

 

“Ah, that is why everything looked a bit out of order that day,” Grillby concluded, more amused about the solution of that particular mystery than anything else.

 

Parz, on the other hand, had another realization upon that fact. “Hey!” he shouted, pointing angrily towards Pyru. “That's cheating!"

 

“Yeah you were supposed to stay in the room,” Papyrus agreed accusingly.

 

Pyru gave a catlike grin that reminded Grillby a bit to much of Swabby. “I was in the room... just in another room.”

 

Grillby just chuckled at the protesting sounds of the others and looked up to the kitchen clock. He frowned when he saw the time. “Hurry up, children,” he told them, getting up and taking the empty plates and placing them into the sink. “We have to go soon.” He left Saz and Parz’ plates untouched knowing it still took some time for both of them to finish each meal.

 

Saz was in fact still eating his breakfast very carefully when he turned to Swabby. “Where is the school?” he asked between mouthfuls.

 

“Oh, it's not far,” Swabby answered smiling. “I will show you.”

 

“No, you will not, Swabby," Grillby cut in rather suddenly causing everybody looking at him.

 

“What?” Swabby asked surprised. “Why not?”

 

Grillby pointed at the window where a snowstorm could be seen raging outside.

 

Swabby blinked. He hadn’t even noticed that the weather become this bad.

 

“I'll take them," declared Grillby.

 

“It's just a bit snow...” protested Swabby with a pout.

 

“...then Uncle Fellby won't come home...” Parz muttered quietly beside Saz. “He never comes when there is snow...”

 

Saz looked to him a bit alarmed but was interrupted and distracted by Suny.

 

“Uncle Swabby can't come?” the smallest brother asked with wide eyes. “Awww really?”

 

“Don't worry, Uncle Swabby,” consulted Papyrus, petting over what he could reach of the yellow flame’s arm. “We'll tell you all about it when we get home.”

 

Swabby felt more irritated than comforted however. “Grillby, this is barely a snowfall,” he protested, pointing at the window.

The wind howled at his words and a wave of snowflakes hit the glass, painting it completely white.

 

Swabby felt personally offended by that.

 

“Swabby, it's a storm," Grillby countered.

 

Swabby knew he was right but… still! “I have protection,” he tried a last time, a bit quieter than before.

 

“It's still a risk,” responded Grillby before sighing at Swabby’s expression. He understood, really, but he would not allow his friend to come to harm. “Swabby... please...” he almost pleaded. “This is... not about that. You know that the weather is really bad, even Fellby would be in trouble out there.” He knew that Swabby knew this fact too. Though it did not make it any easier. “I don't want to see you get hurt.”

 

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Swabby finally sighed and looked away, giving his silent consent.

Grillby felt a bit guilty at the feeling of relief that flowed over him.

 

Sans seemed to sense the tension and patted Swabby just like Papyrus had before. “Papyrus is right,” he concluded. “We'll tell you EVERYTHING.”

 

“And I'll make sure no one is bad,” proclaimed Papyrus. “Not even Parz!”

 

“HEY!”

 

Swabby gave an almost broken chuckle. He blinked and suddenly and there they were, six little skeletons looking at him. He got up from his chair, bending down to his knees and wrapped his arms around all of them, pulling them as close as possible. “Love you all,” he whispered to them. “You are going to have a great day, I know it.”

  
“You too,” Sans mumbled back, his voice muffled against Swabby’s shoulder.

Pyru made a little sound as he nuzzled into Swabby’s other shoulder.

Saz just held on to the flame.

 

Suny hugged back with all his might. “Don't worry… if you get bored, you can play with our toys!” he offered.

 

“Yeah,” agreed Papyrus who was hugging onto Swabby too, just like his brothers. “Or you can draw a picture! Though we're all out of red...”

 

“I know,” chuckled Swabby as he nuzzled them. “You are all amazing kids; you know?”

He looked over them, his eyes landing on Parz who was standing somewhat out of the group hug, looking a bit torn between wanting to get closer and to get away. Swabby just smiled at him and gently pulled the boy into a single hug, being gentle so Parz could get out of it any time. But he did not tense up or struggle within his hold, so Swabby was confident he didn't do anything wrong. “Give new things a chance, Parz,” he whispered to him. “I am proud of you. Don't forget that.”

 

Parz blinked up at Swabby at the words, not saying anything but looking a bit more relaxed.

Swabby smiled and let go of him. “Have a great day, okay?”

 

“Okay,” mumbled Parz still looking a bit shy.

 

“We're gonna have a good day,” confirmed Sans with a nod; Papyrus and Pyru cheering beside him.

 

“Well, let's get ready then,” Grillby said finally, putting the last plates away before turning to Swabby. “You will see them in the evening,” he assured him, a smile betraying his amusement. “You are acting as if they go out for years.”

 

Swabby blushed a soft green. “I know… I just…”

 

“I understand,” spared Grillby him of explaining. He really did after all.

 

“WE’LL BE BACK BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!” shouted Papyrus before hesitating and looking to Sans. “Right?”

 

“Yep,” said Sans, nodding. “Totally very fast.”

 

Pyru nodded too at that, already helping Suny with his boots while Saz beside him helped Parz get into his winter coat.

 

Grillby used the time to hug Swabby himself. “Don't worry, I'll bring them home in the afternoon.”

 

“I know,” Swabby mumbled quietly, risking a last look to the window. Nothing had changed and he hated the fact that Grillby was right. The weather outside was terrible, downright dangerous for any flame beside Grillby even with magical protection. “Be safe too,” he finally added.

 

“How long do we stay at school anyway?” Suny questioned while hopping into his boots.

Beside him Sans was putting a tiny hat on Papyrus' skull as Parz very carefully put his arms through the sleeves of his coat which was held up by Saz.

 

“I'll get you for lunch during your break,” explained Grillby, letting go of Swabby to crouch down to the children’s level. “Fellby was right with one detail, we won't risk cafeteria meals.” After all, Grillby was proud of his bar and the food he served within. Not to mention that the guard dogs were always around for lunch.

 

“And... after that we have more?” asked Sans.

 

“Well, not for now but later on yes,” explained Grillby. “You are only starting school so for now it's only the morning and a bit in the afternoon for you.”

 

“We have to stay there after lunch too?!?” asked Suny shocked.

 

“Awwww but that's all day!!!” protested Papyrus.

 

They had explained everything to them beforehand but, well, they were still children and it was clear that some things were only now starting to sink in.

Grillby and Swabby both had spoken to the school a lot, trying to find the best option for the skeletons. They could have waited longer or sent them for only two or three hours per day but they came to the consensus together that the best course of action was to let them have a close as normal experience with school. That and the other students shouldn't know from day one that they were different. They would be something special no matter what and there was no reason to single them out even more so. One big part of going to school was, beside learning, to make friends and fit in into monster society. As good as they possibly could at least.

 

“It's not that long after lunch, don't worry,” answered Grillby to Suny and Papyrus, a smile on his lips. “In the afternoon there are only workgroups you can join for now but don't have to just yet. Actual lessons in the afternoon will be there when you get older.”

 

“Workgroups?” asked Sans, his eyes fixating on Grillby with a hint of interest in his voice.

 

“Like... people who do one thing together,” Swabby tried to explain, gesturing a bit helpless with one hand. “Like making photographs... or drawing pictures or music,” he added, smiling a bit when he noticed how Pyru and Suny both perked up at the topics he named.

However, Parz still looked unsold on the entire idea.

“But if it is a bit too much for you, you can skip that for a while.”

 

“Can't we just skip it all?” Parz questioned a bit sullen.

 

“No, at some point you have to choose something... and the stuff in the morning is a must,” Swabby answered gentle but firm. “You need your education. The workgroups are more for fun.”

 

“Don't worry about it,” Grillby spoke up, his flames flickering gently. “We will see that you all still have enough time to play and relax afterwards.”

 

That seemed to calm the children significantly.

Papyrus was smiling again and looked excited while Suny cheered, making it a bit difficult for Pyru to finish up helping him.

Even Sans was looking a bit more interested and attentive.

Parz, on the other hand, yawned out and rubbed his eyes as Saz buttoned up his jacket for him. “Why does it have to be in the morning?” he complained quietly.

 

“Because not everyone is a lazy bones,” answered Papyrus, looking strictly to him but the look just fell flat and looked adorable. Try as he might, Papyrus only managed shades of adorable whenever he tried to look serious or upset.

 

“Otherwise you would be there very far into the evening,” Grillby added gently while taking his own coat and pulling it on, looking over the children. Everyone was there and ready to brave the day.

 

“... the storm really does look bad,” mumbled Swabby softly.

 

Grillby just nodded, acknowledging the unspoken apology. “I'll keep them warm,” he stated as he made sure his boots were tied up tight around his ankles.

 

“... still, be safe,” Swabby said beside him.

 

Grillby turned to him, feeling something soft in his soul melt. “Always.”

 

They were interrupted by Pyru who made a little coughing sound and looked at both of them, his little schoolbag on his back. “Okay...” he mumbled, a bit unsure. “Uh... Can we go?”

 

Grillby gave a single nod in response.

 

Suny was at his side in an instant, taking his right hand while Sans took his left.

Papyrus was at Sans’ side, dragging Saz along after seeing Pyru taking Suny’s and Parz' hands, even though Parz looked as if he could care less.

Saz blinked still a bit tired himself.

It was okay, Grillby knew. The other children would not let go of them. After all, they never did.

 

“Looks like we are ready then,” proclaimed Grillby, earning a cheer from most of the children. “Let's venture forth.” And with these words he opened the door and stepped outside, into the snowfall and the unknown future.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I hope you had fun and are pumped for the next part. ^^ We hope we can get it out a bit quicker than this chapter. But, you know, RL and stuff. x.x
> 
> Anyway, AWESOME FANART. AGAIN. You guys don't know how happy we are about, well, everything. ^^
> 
> By Pippa-frost (http://pippa-frost.tumblr.com))
> 
> Sans and his pokemon team.  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/148289690366/pippa-frost-hey-guys-im-sorry-i-havent-been#tumblr_notes
> 
> Gravity Falls Crossover. The kids meeting the skeletons  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/149263123181/dipper-mabel-meet-the-6-sxeleton-brothers#tumblr_notes
> 
> Gravity Falls Crossover. The flames meeting the kids.  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/149336893261/what-when-the-flames-met-dipper-mable#tumblr_notes
> 
>  
> 
> By Dealdraws (http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Swabby as the Candyflame and Papyrus as his sweet sidekick.  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/148612482441/dealdraws-well-spread-happiness-over-the#tumblr_notes
> 
> Puppies with clothes  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/149738790186/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-first-ref-sheet-for#tumblr_notes
> 
> Fellby and Grillby looking cool and Swabby being adorable and pretty  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/149824988336/namekian-maoh-deal-right-me-a-few-days-ago#tumblr_notes
> 
> Fellby is not allowed to tell the kids bedtime stories anymore  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/149858869681/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-fellby-had-been#tumblr_notes
> 
> A big, big thank you to all of you. ^^ We love getting fanart.
> 
> Also, shout-out to a FANFIC written for this, no joke, we were super touched by that:
> 
> Hiding by Luxe3710 (http://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxe3710/pseuds/Luxe3710)  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/7743202
> 
> Thank you so much. 
> 
> Welp, see you all next time then, when the kids actually get to their school. ^^


	15. The Path to the Future - School Day Jitters  Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the School Day Jitters. The kids are on the way to school now. Grillby struggles with letting go while the kids learn lots of new stuff before even having their first lesson yet.

 

The weather was, in a word, lousy. Grillby really wished that there were better circumstances for the children's first school day but that could not be helped. He heated himself up a bit, shifting his flames up to a healthy dark red with blue flaring against the tips, and huddled the children close to his warmth.

He knew overall that there was no need for such. All of the skeletons he knew in the past were rather unaffected by temperature, prone to roll around in snow or lava without so much as flinching. But these were children and who knows what was done to them during all these years in the lab. So he rather not take any chances. He kept them warm and comfortable just like any other monster child and that was the end of the matter.

Still, the children struggled with the deep snow so Grillby concentrated a bit more heat to his legs, melting the snow and ice in front of himself to create a way for them to walk safely.

 

“How far is the school?” Papyrus questioned after a short while, his red scarf fluttering in the wind. 

 

“Is it inside like home?” asked Suny, snuggled as close to Grillby as he could.

Grillby could feel the eyes of the others on him too. “It's not far from here,” he answered with a soft smile. “We will see it very soon. And yes, it is inside. A big house, full of children.”

 

“... sounds strange,” commented Saz.

 

“It does, huh?” chuckled Grillby. They explained the concept of school a few times to the children but still... they were puzzled and Grillby couldn't fault them for that. For somebody never experiencing it, school would sound quite strange. 

He tried his hardest to remember his own days of learning but they were so long ago and it was a very different time for monsters in general and for himself especially. Still he has a minute clue as to how things are done today because of his sister and little Fukufire who had told him many excited tales about her school in Hotland whenever she came to visit him.

 

“FULL OF CHILDREN?!?” exclaimed Suny, dragging him out of his thoughts. 

 

“How many children?” Papyrus demanded to know. 

 

Grillby couldn’t help but to be amused by their eagerness to know. “I think at the moment there are around fifty or so children at the school,” he answered.

Snowdin was still rather small after all even if some large monster families were living here.

 

“That… is a lot people...” mumbled Sans, frowning slightly and Grillby swore that he could almost see the thoughts about many other unknown monster ran through Sans' mind. 

 

“Why so many?” asked Parz quietly. 

 

“Well, all children from age six to seventeen in Snowdin are in school,” explained Grillby. “It is rather small all things considered...” He thought for a moment, trying to remember something Fukufire told him once. “There are schools in Hotland with more than 200 children.”

His words were met with shouts of awe and disbelieve.

 

“That... are a lot of children,” Sans mumbled out.

 

“Are there really that many people in Hotland?” Pyru asked.

“Yes,” answered Grillby chuckling, his flames dancing with humor. “Hotland is... a very big city.”

 

“Why are there so many there and not here?” inquired Saz, the little bones above his eyes moved into a frown. 

 

“Who knows,” Grillby replied. “But not many monsters like the cold...”

 

Not the flames and not many other monster.

The intense cold was one complaint of “Home” and why it was left behind, beside the problem of overcrowding. When scouts came back with the news of a patch of land near the barrier, behind pools of lava and with access to a tiny bit of sunlight, enough to grow food, the move was done quickly.

Grillby had followed his family at first, more out of duty than anything else. Snowdin was, at the time, nothing more than a wasteland then but it was not long before he heard Snowdrakes and Bunnies talking about settling there. He remembered this fact when the heat in Hotland became too much for him and moved to the cold wasteland pretty quickly with only two addresses still left in mind: his sisters and the little yellow flame that was the first to see how much he needed that little bit of comfort.

Snowdin was small and would always be small.

It was exactly what Grillby needed and loved about the village.

 

“Uncle Fellby doesn't like the cold,” mumbled Parz, pulling Grillby back into the reality. 

 

“But the snow is fun!” protested Papyrus looking almost longingly at the snow, no doubt mourning that they couldn't play in the snow together. 

 

“Yeah we could make snow-people!” agreed Suny. 

 

“You could do that,” chuckled Grillby. 

 

“Can we make snow-people later?” Pyru requested, looking up to Grillby with a pleading look. 

 

“I am sure we will find some time for that,” Grillby replied smiling, glancing to the snow that was still piling up around them. “Looks like there will be a lot of material for snow-people.”  
  
“WE CAN MAKE A SNOW VILLAGE!” shouts Papyrus happily.

 

Suny smiled broadly and began hopping up and down excited. “A SNOW FAMILY!”  
  
“WITH LOTS OF SNOW BROTHERS!” agreed Papyrus.

 

Grillby chuckled at their excitement.

 

Time just fly while they walked, the children still counting all the things they could make out of snow, Grillby’s soft light guiding and warming them before another bright glow came into view through the still flurrying snow.

 

“Ah, there it is,” Grillby said smiling. “This is your school.”

 

The school was a bright and friendly looking building, built in the same style most of Snowdin’s houses were: wood and brick interlaid to be warm and cozy. A big shield was put over the entrance, telling everybody that this was the ‘Snowdin School’.

 

Asgore must have named the school, thought Grillby as they walked to the building. 

 

There were also some other adult monster bringing their kids in just like Grillby. Most of the kids were bunnies, dogs and snowdrake-like monsters; the usual population around Snowdin.

Some recognized Grillby and greeted him friendly. A dog, related to Doggo, that came with their daughter riding on their shoulder. The Inn-keeper Bunny with their son. The bear that liked to hang around his bar with his three children, deep into a lecture about politics, but he still waved at Grillby friendly. There was even Greater Dog and Lesser Dog, both guiding five little mouse children to the school, most likely because of the snow, who waved at the skeletons as they passed.

The fact that he cared for a bunch of skeleton children was common knowledge already after the last few months following Gaster’s fall. Grillby got even congratulation baskets from some of his regulars. He didn't know what to think about it but... well, the children remained his.

 

He noticed how several of the children haltered in their steps, looking at the small crowd with big eyes.

 

“THERE REALLY ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE!!” exclaimed Papyrus finally, voice full of excitement and wonder.

 

Grillby felt himself chuckling again. “Yes,” he just said, petting Papyrus shortly. He took a deep breath and tried to steel himself. Time to let go... even if it was going to be hard. “Well, remember, kids… Papyrus, Suny, indoor voice. Sans, no pranks with magic. Pyru, be nice and Parz, be nicer. Saz… don't be afraid to speak up,” he went through each of them. “Alright?”

 

There were some mumbling and some slightly disappointed sounding agreements, but his message seemed to have come through.

 

“Come on, we’ll look for your classroom,” Grillby spoke gently, herding the children closer to the school.

Everybody complied but Parz who seemed to be frozen at place, looking downward.

“Parz?” he asked softly. 

 

Parz raised his head just a little but shook his head quickly, taking Pyru’s hand again and followed the others.

Grillby sighed softly but did not press him. He loved all of his children, but sometimes Parz and Saz... well, they didn't seem to trust him much. They connected so much easier with Fellby and it was hard knowing what went through their little skulls at times...

He wished not for the first time that the blue flame would show up again soon. He somehow always found out what bothered the children.

 

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Grillby lead the children inside the school.

The interior was just as cheerful as the outside. Pastel yellow painted walls, a green floor and paintings made by little monster hand, greeted them. There were doors on each side of the floor with little letters and numbers painted on them.

There were more children here, next to no adults, and Grillby found himself struggling with finding the classroom for his children, even if he had been to the school to talk to the teachers a few times before hand.

 

“Well, let's see,” he mumbled more to himself than to anybody else. “Your room is 3B...”

Despite looking around for the door, Grillby did keep an eye on his kids.

Parz was still looking more down than at anything in particular.

Suny seemed to be really excited and only Pyru’s grip on him kept him in place.

Papyrus seemed the same but hid half behind Sans whenever another kid looked at him for more than a second.

 

“You don't have to hide bro,” mumbled Sans after the third time, earning a tiny sound and not much more.

Saz, meanwhile, was doing his best to hide behind Parz and Pyru from any onlookers.

 

All in all, the kids were nervous and Grillby was glad to finally see the right door.

 

It was a simple wooden door with “3B” painted on with green paint and there were already some kids gathered inside the classroom, Grillby counted twelve in total. Some of which who glanced up as they entered, looking at the skeletons with interest whereas others just continued their conversations with another monster.

 

The teacher was there too, a middle aged bunny monster who smiling kindly at Grillby and the skeletons as they entered.

 

“I hope we are not late,” said Grillby quietly to the teacher, shaking her hand.

 

“Oh, not at all,” replied the teacher. “But I am glad you made it.” With these words she turned around to smile at the children. “Well, welcome to school, children. My name is Snowtail. Please, just sit down,” with this she motioned to the empty chairs. “The lesson starts in a few minutes.” She turned around to Grillby again, still smiling knowingly.

 

Grillby wondered how other parents were able to let go of their children so easily…

 

“You don't need to worry, if a problem should arise we will call you,” Snowtail informed him.

 

Grillby just nodded. He raised his hands, signing the rest rather than talking. It still felt strange to really talk outside of his home, even if he COULD manage it and did so occasionally.  _“Thank you. I am rather nervous leaving them alone...”_

 

“Oh, you are not the first father to say that,” assured Snowtail, still smiling knowingly.

 

Something in Grillby’s soul iced over.

Father.

The children were his and he their guardian but… none of them could really call him their father. They most likely had no concept of one... and to be honest, it's been many, many years since Grillby had one of his own...

 

He just swallowed his response down and glanced towards the children and saw them watching him as well. He kneeled down and gently hugged them before standing up again. “Be good,” he whispered to them, his voice barely carrying at all.  _“_ You will be okay?”

 

“We'll be fine,” said Sans smiling, little chest poofed out proudly while Pyru nodded in agreement.

Parz was still ignoring him, Saz half hidden behind him while Papyrus and Suny were obviously very interested in the other children, not so much in whatever irrational fears Grillby had at the moment.

 

“I'll see you during lunchtime then _,”_ he whispered, smiling slightly at them. 

 

“Will Uncle Fellby be home then?” Parz questioned with a quiet voice.

 

Grillby looked down to see tiny red glowing eyes looking at him expectantly and Grillby wished with all of his soul he could tell him yes. “I don't know, Parz,” he answered honestly, because he just could not find it in himself to lie to any of them. “But I sure hope he will come home soon.” A thought entered his mind and his hand carefully petted over Parz' tiny skull. “We can try calling him after school, alright?”

 

Parz looked at him for a long beat of silence before finally nodding. “Okay,” he mumbled.

 

Somehow that felt like a giant victory for Grillby. “Okay,” whispered Grillby before turning back towards the door.

This seemed to gain him the attention of the Suny again because next Grillby knew was that he was looking into two big blue eyes.

 

“Awww do you have to leave?” asked Suny, his voice shaking a bit.

 

“Wait, YOU’RE LEAVING?!?” shrieked Papyrus, eyes just as wide as his brothers. 

 

“We talked about that, children,” Grillby mumbled to them while smiling softly. _“_ You'll be fine _.”_

 

Sans huffed at that. “Okay,” he mumbled. “As long as you come back.”

 

“Yeah, promise!” demanded Pyru.

 

Grillby looked all of them over, taking in all of their little faces and his soul gave a tight squeeze inside his chest. He loved these children just so much. “I promise,” he whispered. “I'll always come back.”

 

That seemed to satisfy the children and after another confirmation to the children that he will indeed pick them up for lunch, he motioned at them to sit down already.

 

Grillby chuckled softly as the children made their ways to the chairs and desk, choosing an empty seat each, before turning back to Snowtail. They nodded at each other, having said everything that is to say at the moment. Everything else, time will tell.

Grillby left the school and made his way to his bar, taking just the same steps into the unknowns as he did so many times in his life before, and just like his children are doing now.

 

 

 

Pyru had chosen a seat pretty much in the back, near his brothers, and was looking around the room with interest. He was still a bit unsure about this whole school thing. The explanations from Grillby and Swabby seemed to suggest that school was pretty nice, if sometimes hard work too.

 

He eyed the other children around him, who seemed all so... relaxed and he tried to relax too. He trusted that Grillby and Swabby would NEVER leave them anywhere where it was not 100% safe. They had proven together with Fellby that they would go to great lengths to protect them and thanks to them they were now truly free.

 

At least the teacher was friendly looking and smiled at the class with a smile that reminded Pyru a bit of Swabby when he told them a bedtime story.

 

“Well, then let's start shall we?” said the teacher, Snowtail if Pyru remembered right. “We have six new students today. Please be nice to them,” she continued while glancing to the skeletons. ”How about you introduce yourselves to the class? Just tell your name and something about yourself,” she encouraged them. 

 

Pyru looked a bit confused to Sans while Sans looked confused to him and his other brothers were looking at them questionably. And Pyru honestly had no idea how to react. There were eyes on them, on him. Of the teacher, of the other children and it felt a bit... strange. He kind of wanted to stay but he also wanted to run straight back home, hiding away in one of the many hideouts within the room he shared with his brothers.

 

“Something about ourselves?” he could hear Papyrus asking. 

 

“Yes. Just tell us some things you like for example,” Snowtail answered. Her eyes finally settled on Sans. “Do you want to start?”

 

Pyru looked to Sans who seemed to freeze for a moment before moving and waving weakly at the class.

 

“My name is Sans,” he begun, his voice a pitch higher than normal.

Pyru was glad he wasn't the only nervous one here.

“And I like... puns,” Sans continued. “A skele-ton.”

 

The fairly basic pun tickled a giggle out of Pyru and some other students too.

Parz made a little disapproving sound while Papyrus gave Sans a glare.

Pyru felt himself relax a bit. Nothing bad will happen. Grillby and Swabby had promised after all.

 

“Me next then?” asked Pyru, feeling brave. “Uh... I'm Pyru. And... uh... I like listening to music.” It wasn't the best introduction but it was passable.

 

The teacher nodded at him with a smile and the other kids seemed to accept his introduction.

 

Pew. This... was not as hard as he thought but also kind of exhausting.

 

“I’M PAPYRUS AND I LIKE PUZZLES!” Papyrus shouted his introduction, missing his indoor voice only a tiny bit.

One of the cat-like monster kids frowned.

Pyru guessed they had sensitive hearing like Parz and hoped Papyrus would find his indoor volume soon. Well, he DID do better nowadays at least.

 

Next in line was his own little brother, Suny, who beamed at the others with his big blue eyes.

“HI!” he greeted the room, before readjusting his voice a bit.

Pyru nodded and smiled, his little bro was just awesome as that.

“Um... I'm Suny and uh... I like to color and play and have fun and... and...” he stopped for a moment before beaming again. “And lots of other stuff!”

 

This earned his adorable little brother some chuckles from the kids and the teacher alike. Pyru couldn't be prouder.

 

“Well, why don't you introduce yourself?” asked the teacher after a while, looking at Parz with a kind smile.

 

Pyru winced a bit. Parz definitely got better in being... kinda nice but this was the first real test where he HAD to interact with people beside the flames, his brothers and their healer.

 

“Hmph,” came from Parz as he crossed his arms.

Pyru was not surprised. Not one bit.

 

Luckily, Sans knew how to save the situation. He chuckled softly before turning to the others, winking. “Parz gets a bit grumpy sometimes,” Sans explained.

 

Pyru knew an opening when he saw one. “Yeah... this is Parz, our brother, and he is a grumpy grump sometimes.”

 

Parz just glared at him and let out a deep sound that sounded a bit too much like a growl.

Some kids were looking a bit skeptic but Pyru kept up his cheery act. “ See? Grumpy.”

 

“Now you,” spoke Sans, looking to Saz.

Pyru nodded to him encouraging.

 

It... didn't help much. Saz pretty much looked a bit like a deer in headlights as he glanced around nervously. “Uh... I... uhm... am Saz,” he stuttered, looking down and away.

His brother did not speak anymore but Pyru knew it took a lot out of him already. He reached over to Saz and gave him a little pat.

 

Suny on the other hand turned around in his seat and hugged Saz tightly. “Saz is cuddly!” he exclaimed to everybody and, well, that was that.

 

“Am not,” protested Saz, struggling a bit half-heartily against the hold.

 

Pyru knew better. Saz loved to be hugged.

 

“Well, that was interesting,” Snowtail commented, still chuckling slightly.

 

Pyru was a bit relieved that despite everything, she seemed to like them.

“Please sit down properly now so we can start with the lesson.”

 

Suny let go of Saz at these words, looking a bit bashfully.

Pyru was sitting up properly, glancing to Parz and Saz beside him, Sans in front of him with Papyrus and Suny. At least they were able to sit all pretty close together.

 

“Alright,” Snowtail begun, smiling to the class. “Again, welcome to a new school year. Each of you did a test at the beginning and were assigned some courses based on that. So, we will split up for our first lessons soon,” she explained. “But before that, we will have a little bit time together.” 

 

Pyru remembered the test. Grillby had brought the forms for them a few weeks before and they had fun doing the test.

 

“We will make name-cards today, you all will get your books and then we'll make a little tour through the school.”

 

“Name cards?” asked Papyrus out loud. 

 

“Cards with your name on it that you can take from class to class,” Snowtail explained smiling. “And so everybody knows your name by looking at it... But Papyrus? Next time, please raise your hand and wait until I call your name before speaking, okay?” she added gently. 

 

Pyru frowned a bit. That... is a new rule.

He remembered Grillby telling them about the rules in school. Like that it is rude to speak in lessons without being allowed to. He had explained them why rules like that existed and how it worked.

Pyru was pretty sure that Grillby tried to make sure they knew it wasn't like in the lab.

 

_Sit still, be silent, you are only to talk and move when I tell you so. Don't struggle, don't disobey or your brother will suffer for it._

 

Pyru shivered. No. It wasn't like that here. There were no... no punishments. Grillby had mentioned that there WERE consequences if they break the rules, but he also explained these.

Writing lines, saying they were sorry and letters to their guardians.

Not pain or death or isolation or no food for days.

 

“Oh… okay...” mumbled Papyrus. “Uh... Sorry?”

 

Still, Pyru was tense. Even if he trusted Grillby and Swabby and wanted to believe nothing bad would happen, he could feel his magic running just below the surface of his bones...

 

The teacher just smiled softly. “It's alright, it's all pretty new, huh?” she asked as if she understood and Papyrus nodded, prompting her to smile more. “Alright. Think of it next time and I'll be happy.” She clapped her hands together. “Okay, kids. I will give each of you a fresh sheet of paper so you can write down your name. Just raise your hand if you need help with the spelling. And then you can decorate it.”

 

And that was that.

Just like that.

Pyru sat back again as the others cheered. Nothing bad was happening. A few words, a reminder of the rule. Nothing bad.

 

Suny was rocking a bit in his seat, still full of energy – he no doubt was excited about getting to color stuff.

Pyru smiled at his brother, feeling himself relax a bit more. Yeah, that was good. His brothers were happy, everything is going to be alright.

 

Snowtail gave everybody paper and colorful pens to work with while Pyru was still ringing down his emotions. When she spoke again he started a bit, looking down at pens and paper and up to her again.

“Alright, first take a pencil so that you can correct things if you need too,” she begun instructing them. “Write out your name first and look that everything fits.”

 

Pyru took the pencil and looked at his paper, smiling. It seems like ages ago when Swabby sat down with them and taught them how to read and write. Their names were the first things each of them learned to write and Grillby added in some different ways to write the same letters.

It was pretty fun, reading and writing.

Sans had even taken to read the bedtime story by himself from time to time, usually whenever Swabby was away.

 

Writing his own name was a piece of cake. After looking over to Sans, who wrote his name in all lowercase letters using the comic sans font Grillby taught him as a joke, Pyru giggled and wrote his own name in lowercase letters in the Papyrus font. Not for any other reason than that it looked cool. He smiled down at his name, feeling proud.

He looked around to see what his other brothers were doing.

 

Papyrus was writing in all capital letters using the papyrus font as well.

Pyru giggled a tiny bit at that because Papyrus was using Papyrus. Even if he had to erase some of the letters a few times over to fit his whole name on the card.

Suny wrote his name more easily, using the comic sans font like Sans just in all capital letters like Papyrus had.

Parz wrote his name with only the littlest struggle.

Pyru smiled at that. It had taken Parz a bit longer than the others to fully master the art of writing. Even if his letters still look very edgy and exaggerated, it kind of fit him.

 

Saz on the other hand waited until Parz was finished before attempting to write his own name, making a show out of having to concentrate fully to write it which made Pyru frown deeper again.

He knew for a fact that Saz could write and read just fine. And just like he thought, Saz wrote in Comic Sans just like Sans and Suny, his letters looking a bit more edgy and spiky than those of his brothers.

 

“That looks good, everyone,” adored Snowtail, pulling Pyru out of his thoughts. “Alright, now you can trace your name with any colour you like.”

 

This was met with even more cheering from the children.

Suny was the only one who raised his hand at that.

 

“Yes?” questioned Snowtail as she came to him, smiling. “Do you need help?”

 

“Can we use any color?” Suny inquired, his eyes practically two big stars. “Any at all?”

 

“Any color,” Snowtail repeated, nodding and obviously fighting the urge to giggle. “Just not white, you wouldn't be able to see it.”

 

Her words were met a with a bright giggle and Suny proceeded to use a different color on each letter, sometimes even more than one.

Everything went on pretty fun after that. After coloring their names, they were allowed to draw stuff on the card too and soon most of the kids were comparing their masterpieces with each other.

Even Snowtail took some time to look at each of their cards, complimenting especially nice designs or funny decor choices.

 

“Alright, children,” she said after a while causing the noise in the classroom to die down. “After you finished your card, please look to me. I will give you all your timetable and your books.”

 

There was, of course, some cleaning up to do. Cards were set up and pens and extra paper were put away before Snowtail walked through the rows of seats and handed each of them a big sheet of paper with a neat timetable on it.

 

Pyru studied his own. He remembered taking the test a few weeks earlier. The test Swabby had explained to him which determined which courses they would take.

Pyru was pretty good in reading already therefore he could skip the courses that taught how to spell and write and move directly to a more advanced reading class. In all, he got an advanced science course, some math and some classes where he didn't quite know what to make out of the names.

He did know that, most likely, there were some courses and lessons he would not have together with his brothers. Not even together with Suny, as upsetting as it was.

 

He leaned over to look at Suny's sheet and, as he thought, Suny's timetable looked very different from his own. There were some classes, such as arts and crafts, that they would have together but that amounted to maybe an hour or two a day.

And, like Grillby had promised, it looked like they would not have much after lunch.

 

The other children seemed to have the same idea to share their plans and, seeing that Snowtail seemed to allow it, Pyru leaned over to his other brothers where Sans and Papyrus were sharing their plans already.

 

“Huh, we are having two classes together Paps,” Sans informed to Papyrus, who leaned over too. “But me and Suny got... only one class together...”

 

“But Suny and Papyrus got a lot of classes together,” Pyru pointed out with one look at the laid out plans. 

 

Saz and Parz were really quiet but Pyru could see that they had very different plans too... Pyru winced a bit at that. The two usually were always together. He couldn’t even imagine them being separated for more than a few minutes.

 

“Aww, you don't got a lot together, huh? But Saz is in a few of mine and Sans... and you got a few with Papyrus, Parz,” Pyru said to them, smiling. His brothers didn't reply but it was to be expected. 

 

Also surprising was the subjects of Saz' courses.

Pyru could have sworn he saw several advanced courses on the sheet before Saz quickly pulled his timetable away, blushing red with his magic.

 

“Don't worry Saz,” said Sans, leaning in a bit on the slightly small skeleton and winking. “It will be fine.”

 

“Alright,” Snowtail said finally, demanding attention once more. “Now, I will give out your books. You can leave them here at school in the spinet of your desks or you can take them home to read and do your homework.”

 

Pyru was told about homework but he couldn't really figure out for what he would need the books.

 

Snowtail called each of them to the front and handed them a stack of books based on the courses they were assigned.

Some got more and some got less, some were the same and some very different.

Pyru looked over his stack when he finally got his.

 

Sans opened his science book as soon as he got it.

Saz kept glancing to his history book and back to Parz.

Papyrus and Suny were cooing over the nice pictures in some of their books.

All and all, Pyru found the books to be pretty neat.

 

After they got the books, Snowtail announced that they would take a tour through the school.

Papyrus moved to Sans the moment they were allowed to stand up, nervously hovering around him.

Pyru himself took Suny's hand rather quickly, still a bit nervous about, well, everything.

 

Parz took his books with him, despite Snowtail telling them not to.

She looked at him for a moment but didn't say anything.

 

Pyru filed that away in his memories too. It seemed like there would not be punishments for not always doing what she said? Strange. And kind of like at home with Grillby, Swabby and Fellby when they would only laugh or chuckle when they ignored some of their requests…

 

Saz hovered near Parz, hand reaching out a few times but he always aborted the movement.

Pyru knew this behavior already. It was the fight between the desire for comfort and safety versus the knowledge that Parz hated to be touched when he didn't do the touching or allowed the touching not to mention that there wasn't always a sure way to say in what kind of a mood Parz was at the moment.

 

There was no doubt in Pyru's mind that Parz loved his brother. Otherwise he wouldn't insist on using him as his personal teddy bear each night. But Parz obviously did not know how to express himself, resulting in extreme reactions…

Saz had his golden tooth to show for that after all.

 

It took both Pyru and Saz by surprise when Suny suddenly reached out to happily take Saz' hand.

 

“Suny!” exclaimed Saz at that but did not do anything to get away, letting his brother do as he pleased. 

 

Pyru smiled at that, admiring Suny again for his ability to seemingly sidestep any barriers Saz and Parz might have put up around themselves. No matter how much Saz pretends to be as aloof as his brother, Suny would always reach out and touch and hug him and take his hand and Pyru could always see how much Saz in fact needed this.

Pyru wondered not for the first time if Saz is aware of just how much he is loved.

 

“Aren't you having fun, Saz?” asked Suny happily.

 

Saz shuffled along, looking unsure and unable to meet Suny's bright blue eyes. “Huh? ... I don't know,” he mumbled just as Sans came up to him.

 

“Awww, come on, it's fun,” agreed Sans. “And the school does look rather cool. Did you see the room with the painted on stars?” he questioned, eyes shining almost as much as Suny's. “It's awesome!”

 

Parz just huffed and looked away when Saz looked towards him a bit helpless.

 

Sans seemed unphased. “Awww, come on, Parz… you have to admit, it's neat!”

 

Parz growled back in response.

 

“I think Parz is still cranky from being woke up,” chipped Suny giggling slightly, full of humor as he pulled Saz a bit closer to himself. 

 

“Yeah,” said Pyru with a grin. “We have to get them sooner to bed if that keeps happening.”

 

“Yeah... but then he would miss the MTT series,” responded Sans.

 

Pyru paused for a moment. “...True,” he agreed, thinking about this.

They were watching the MTT series for nearly a year now and all of them were more or less into the whole thing. Pyru once spent a whole afternoon together with Papyrus, drawing out their relationship card (the spy and the robot-cop so where best friends and Pyru had this theory that the princess was the secret sibling of the robot-singer) so making Saz and Parz miss the show would be pretty mean.

 

“Yeah, Mettaton is the best. They can't miss it!” proclaimed Papyrus.

Sans beside him just chuckled, agreeing with him softly.

Pyru watched on as Saz inched closer to Parz.

 

“...you good?” mumbled Saz.

 

But instead of answering, Parz just turned his head away.

Saz looked a bit crestfallen at that.

Pyru sighed, especially when he saw Parz looking very uncomfortable around and to the other children.

 

Pyru at this point slowed down a bit, falling back so there was a bit of space between them and the bulk of the other students. “Better?” he asked both of them and felt a bit better when Saz actually nodded and smiled at him a tiny bit.

 

By then the tour was almost over and Pyru took note on how the other kids were looking at them. It kind of made sense... Swabby had told them that there were very few skeletons in the Underground and none other than themselves residing within Snowdin. So it was kinda natural that they would get curious looks. He knew that the other children meant nothing by it and would not, at least he hoped as much, hurt them.

However, he still remembered Gaster quite clearly. He still remembered how he looked at him sometimes. He did not have words for it then but now he would compare it to how somebody looks when they would mix yellow and blue together and had not expected green to show up...

‘Detached interest’ Grillby had called it when Pyru mentioned this to him. Even though Pyru had not understood the words in the least, he knew they sounded cold and that fit perfectly with the feeling Pyru got when he remembered the past. 

 

Cold.

 

A reason more he loved the flames that raised them.

They were never cold.

 

“And that would be everything. Does anyone have any questions?” asked Snowtail as they finally finished the tour.

 

One of the bunny children raised their hand. “Do we have to remember where everything is?”

 

“Well, it would be good,” Snowtail replied, “but you can always ask if you are unsure.”

 

“Do we have classes with you?” Suny asked, his voice bright and clear. 

 

“Yes,” Snowtail chuckled. “I will teach you sign language, monster common, literature and basic math.”

 

Monster common and sign language was one of the classes everybody seems to have.

Not for the first time Pyru wondered if there was anything uncommon in monster languages. He had once heard Grillby and Swabby talking about aquatic monsters having their own song-based language and he knew from the MTT show that there were monsters that could speak in some sort of beep-and-click language but he didn't know if that would be uncommon monster language or not…

 

“We all have different classes,” muttered Parz, his glowing eyes fixating on the teacher. 

 

“Yes, you do,” Snowtail answered with a pleasant smile. “Well, besides the classes on the sheet, you all have a class each day together with me.”

 

“And the others?”

 

“The other classes are taught by different teachers but don't worry, they are all very nice.”

 

“Do we see them today too?” inquired Suny suddenly.

“Yes,” Snowtail responded, amused over Suny's eagerness. “You all have at least one class before lunch so you can get to know at least one of your other teachers.”

 

“How many teacher are there?” one of the bunnies questioned. 

 

“We have ten teachers here in the moment, not counting myself,” answered Snowtail. “Most of them have a class like mine while others just teach specific subjects. You will meet most of them in your first week of school.”

 

Her explanation was met with nods and mumbling amongst the students, some sounding curious while others shared stories they heard from older siblings.

Pyru let the noise wash over him. Swabby had told him to listen when people talked around him but, to be honest, he was feeling pretty exhausted already.

Not exhausted enough to not look over his brothers and smile a bit at all of them, mind you.

 

“Alright, any other questions?” asked Snowtail. “Otherwise we will shall return to homeroom and from there you can go to your first class.”

 

Pyru would have advanced magic theories together with Sans according to his plan and, to be honest, he was excited. His and Sans' magic was already developed a great deal judging by what Grillby told them and he was kind of interested in how all of the different types of magic worked.

 

He walked back with his brothers to get their books when one of the bunnies fell behind the others to approach the skeletons.

 

“Hey,” the boy said, smiling shyly to them. “You do live near us, do you? I think I saw you out in the snow before…”

 

“Uh, yeah. You live in the big house with lots of lights,” answered Pyru, frowning a bit.

 

“Yeah, my mom runs the Inn! My name is Snow-hopp,” the boy introduced himself. “So, you finally started school?”

 

“Uh... yeah.”

 

“Well how couldn't we in this _ICE_ school?” Sans cut into the conversation, grinning. “So we thought starting here would be _SNOW_ problem.”

 

“SANS STOP MAKING PUNS!” shouted Papyrus prompting many students looking at them, some of which started laughing. Papyrus turned an interesting shade of green with magic.

 

Pyru chuckled at his brother’s embarrassment and gave him a small pat.

 

“Hehe, you are cool,” giggled Snow-hopp. “But I wanna ask you something... Uh... Is Mister Grillby really your dad?”

 

Pyru blinked at the question not really understanding.

 

Papyrus beat him to the question that was forming in his mind. “Huh? What's a dad?” he asked, looked confused and earning just as confused looks from Snow-hopp and some other kids.

 

“Yeah, Grillby is Grillby,” chirped Suny. 

“Uhhh... a dad is... a parent? Like a mum?” Snow-hopp answered, struggling with the explanation. “They care for you and make you food and give you hugs and stuff.”

 

That did sound a lot like Grillby…

Sans frowned lightly. “Grillby is the angel.”

 

Snow-hopp looked at him surprised. “Angel?”

 

“Yeah, the one who is made of light and warmth?”

 

“Uh...” Snow-hopp was silent for a moment, thinking about this. “Yeah, I guess I can see that,” he agreed finally. “But he looks more like a fire monster to me.”

 

Pyru nodded.

They knew that Grillby was a fire elemental just as Uncle Fellby and Uncle Swabby were, but he was still their angel!

“So, but... what is dad now?” Pyru repeated not really satisfied with the whole explanation given earlier. 

 

“Just... family? It's hard to explain. A dad is… just, you know, a dad,” Snow-hopp answered, raising his arms in a gesture of helplessness in face of this question.

 

Pyru got the faint impression that he and his brothers were missing a lot of stuff in the common knowledge department.

 

“Uncle Swabby always says we're family,” mumbled Papyrus. 

 

“...makes food and cares for you....” Suny spoke quietly to himself prompting Papyrus to look in the small skeleton’s direction. “Then um... it sounds like Grillby so... I guess... Grillby would be our dad then,” concluded Suny finally. 

 

“Cool,” Snow-hopp replied. “You know; they say he was a hero.”

 

“He is an angel,” insisted Sans.

 

“...or that.”

 

“Well... Grillby said that we are family too, I guess,” mused Pyru. 

 

“Oh, okay... uh... by the way, who is Swabby?”

 

Papyrus giggled at the question. “Uncle Swabby is Uncle Swabby.”

 

“And... what is a hero?” Suny questioned curious.

 

“Somebody who rescues people I guess?”

 

“Like a knight?” asked Pyru. “Swabby and Grillby sometimes tell us stories about knights.”

 

“AND DRAGONS!” added Suny happily. 

 

“Yeah... always a blue one though,” Sans muttered, frowning a tiny bit as he was only now noticing this common theme in their bedtime stories which weren't fluff bunny related. 

 

“Dragons are cool,” Snow-hopp stated.

 

Pyru nodded. “The stories are nice,” he said and meant it. Grillby and Swabby both knew a lot of stories featuring Knights and Princesses and Dragons, of how Mercy and Friendship safes the day.

 

“But why do you say ‘always a blue dragon’?” Suny questioned Sans. “Isn't that because all dragons are blue?”

 

“Uh... no, well, they come in all colors.”

 

“Yeah. There are lots of different dragons,” Snow-hopp agreed, eyes shining with excitement. “And all sorts of colors too!”

 

“Oh,” mumbled Suny, his mind obviously blown a bit. “Like... all the colors of the rainbow?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much.”

 

“But... why did Uncle Swabby only tell us about blue dragons then?”

 

“Maybe uncle Swabby just likes blue?” mused Papyrus. “It's possible, isn’t it?”

 

“Fellby is blue,” Saz pointed out.

 

“Hmmm.” Sans thought about that. “Fellby is kinda like a dragon...”

 

“You mean sometimes lazy and sleeping then sometimes there is fire everywhere?” giggled Pyru remembering the last time Swabby riled Fellby up enough for him to scream and chase the yellow flame around the house. It was pretty funny and always lit up the mood. Hehe... lit up. Pyru patted himself mentally for that pun.

 

“No,” Saz stated with a deadpan expression. “Fellby is an angel too.”

 

“Uh... right,” said Snow-hopp awkwardly.

Pyru supposed the bunny was lost in where their conversation went... he kind of lost it too there.

 

“So... what do you guys do?”

 

“WE PLAY A LOT,” Papyrus answered, full of excitement.

 

“What do you play?”

 

“WE PLAY HIDE AND SEEK A LOT. EVEN IF SOME OF US,” there was a rather impressive glare from Papyrus to Pyru, “CHEATS SOMETIMES.”

“OH OH AND PUZZLES,” added Suny.

“AND BOARD GAMES!”

“AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF!”  


Before Snow-hopp could ask anything more, the teacher called to them again.

Pyru took a deep breath.

 

Time for their first lessons.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, we are in for some lessons then next time huh? (And again a whole chapter without Fellby coming into it? What is this madness? XD)
> 
> Fanart again! This time: 
> 
> by Amannartblog (http://amannartblog.tumblr.com)
> 
> Another interpretation of the scene talking about Muffet's crush on Fellby. :D  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/150952796221/amannartblog-day-19grillfet-this-is-kinda-for
> 
> Thanks for that. ^^ And thanks to all of you, who wrote comments and asked us questions. :D We hope to get the next chapter out soon. ^^ Until next time then. ^^


	16. The Path to the Future - School Day Jitters Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are having their first lessons. Things are getting interesting even if the school doesn't bring just joy for all of them. They also have their first break and Grillby finds himself a bit lost in the past when looking to the future.

 

 

Sans sat in his first class with a strange feeling in his soul. He was feeling tired, like always, but also strangely energetic… curious. According to Grillby his magic was very strong and rather unique what with his ability to lift and move things with blue magic. Sans was rather proud of it, even if he was forced to do things with it in the lab.

But his unique magic kept him, and more important Papyrus, safe. As long as Gaster was focused on him, he would not hurt Papyrus and he could not harm him to much or his magic wouldn't work. 

 

Besides that, magic was cool. It was useful and easy, not to mention he found ways to make it fun. He could lift his brothers without any problems now that he had some practice and wasn't feeling as if he was half starving. He could move things and prevent things from falling.

Even Uncle Fellby freaking out when he first saw him using it was pretty funny. It was! Uncle Swabby even agreed with him!

 

It was only natural that he wanted to know how worked... and how to be better at it. He kind of looked forward to advanced magic theories after one of the kids, a cat monster with the name Snow-purr, told him that this was basically what it was: learning how magic worked. 

 

There were not many kids in the class, maybe ten or so, and most of them seemed to be older than Sans and Pyru. He sat together with his brother in the back of the class, Sans preferring to have an eye on everything. He wasn't quite sure about Pyru but knowing him, he felt the same. 

It was still unnerving for Sans not seeing his siblings... but at least he did not have to be alone in the class. Still, he wanted to know if the others were okay... especially Saz and Parz...

 

There was a spark of blue magic and Sans felt his fingers still. He looked up to Pyru whose eyes were shining with magic and down to his hands, coated in Pyru's magic. He had not even noticed that he was fidgeting with his hands again. He smiled to his brother, trying to reassure him. He was okay, after all. 

He was okay. He was alright.

At least he told himself that.

 

He was interrupted from his musings, and Pyru obviously out of his concentration because the cool frizzling of magic left him, when the door opened and the teacher walked in. 

 

It was a snowdrake. That much could Sans say. Claws on the feet, the strangely formed hands and head and there was a slight glittering around them in the air. Ice magic, most likely. Plus, they were huge! Easily as high as Grillby, maybe even clearing him by a foot. 

 

Sans watched them fascinated when they made their way to the teachers desk and sat down behind it. They smiled into the class or at least Sans assumed that they did. It was kind of hard to tell with the beak. 

 

“Welcome to my class of advanced theoretical magic,” the teacher said, their voice deep yet melodious. “My name is Glacier and I will be your teacher.”

 

There was some mumbling from older looking students.

 

Glacier clapped their hands together, a few snowflakes appearing around him. “Alright, children. Let's talk about magic. As you all know, monsters are made out of love, compassion and magic. Our white souls reflect just that and of course Hope, the stuff that holds our soul together,” they began their lecture, standing up to draw something on the flipchart behind them. A soul in the typical upside-down heart shape, divided into three equal parts. “As such each of us has soul magic, magic that comes directly from our soul and the very core of our being.” With this information, they drew some lines from the part they labeled as ‘magic’ just moments ago. “This kind of magic is colored like the primary trait. There are six known magic colors: orange, yellow, green, cyan, indigo and violet. Depending on the primary trait of your soul, your magic will have different abilities.”

 

Sans frowned a bit at the explanation. Saz and Parz both had RED magic so he kind of wondered... He shook his head a bit. On the other hand, maybe it was best not to ask. 

 

“And then there is the second form of magic, species specific magic. This magic depends on what kind of monster you are.” Glacier drew a shape around the soul with more lines off of it. “For example, us Snowdrakes have pretty strong ice magic while Froggies can improve their leaps with magic and dogs can enhance their senses...”

 

“What about fire elementals?” Sans heard himself asking, forgetting to raise his hand totally. There was a sort of sparkling feeling in his soul, in his very bones. 

 

There was a sudden silence in the room when Glacier looked to Sans.

Sans only now realized what he had done. But this feeling… this curiosity and desire to, well, KNOW things was stronger than any fear he might have had in that moment. 

 

“Your name is Sans, isn't it?” asked Glacier.

 

Sans just nodded.   


It looked for a moment as if Glacier wanted to ask something else or say something else, but they stopped, clicked their beak once and begun anew. “Fire elementals,” Glacier mumbled looking up for a moment. “Like your guardian, huh?”

 

Sans nodded again, still eager to learn. He asked himself for a moment why his teacher knew about Grillby being their guardian but could not find it in himself to care at the moment.

 

“Well, elementals are a bit of a special case seeing as how they are more magic and less... substance. But basically fire elementals can control and summon up fire and theoretically lava...”

 

Sans frowned. He already knew that much.

Uncle Swabby used his flames to cook and Grillby sometimes made shapes out of his flames such as flowers or small animals, letting them play out scenes from the bedtime stories he told them.

 

“And skeletons?” questioned Pyru finally, having raised his hand but obviously not waiting until he was told to speak.

 

However, Glacier let it slide. “I believe the traditional bone magic is a good candidate,” they replied.

 

Sans frowned more at that. Grillby had told them about bone magic but none of them were very good at it, especially not if it was supposed to be their main trait... Besides, Sans did not really see a point to such magic, he could do much more fun stuff with his other magic after all. 

 

Another monster raised her hand, one of the little mouse monsters Sans had seen that morning. “Can monsters learn other magics than their soul magic?” she asked after Glacier nodded towards her. 

 

“Well yes but never as good or as fast,” Glacier answered. “Most monsters, for example, can use a simple fire spell to cook but nobody can master flames like the fire elementals. In addition, you can learn other colored magic than your own but high-level magics require you to have a specific soul color... The best example for this is green, cyan and orange magics.” Glacier paused at this, drawing several diagrams on the board. “Many monsters can use simple cyan and orange magics, not necessarily needing that to be their soul color but for healing magic, you have to have a green soul.”

 

So there was magic they would never learn? That sounded kind of sad…

 

“That's super complicated,” complained another student though Sans could not figure out which one.

 

Glacier laughed a bit. “Yes, it can be but that is the reason you are here: to learn. As I said, we'll start slow and work ourselves up the hill.”

 

Sans glanced to Pyru, catching his eye. The magic in Sans' bones prickled a bit and he looked back towards the flip-chart where all of the small figures were drawn out.

Sans recognized the feeling he had... This buzzling, electric-like feeling and he almost laughed when he figured it out.

No wonder Suny acted the way he did all the time.

 

Excitement.

 

 

 

Suny was excited. That in on itself wasn't very special… he was ALWAYS kind of excited. But today he was super special excited! 

School, as it turned out, was FUN. And AWESOME! Even if there were periods where he had to sit still which was super hard and he didn’t much like that. Still, there was so much to do!

 

The teacher in basic reading and writing had looked at him strangely for a long time when he vibrated within his chair and he kind of felt bad about it. But how couldn't he?!? 

How could ANYBODY sit still like this?!?

Luckily, his second class was arts and craft where he was allowed to stand and move around in addition to using ALL OF THE COLORS! Plus, he had it together with Papyrus.

 

“That is a very nice picture, Suny,” said the teacher, a big dog with lots of color stuck to his fur. “Very colorful.”

 

“IT’S A RAINBOW!” explained Suny proudly. “IT HAS ALL THE COLORS!”

 

“What is a rainbow?” questioned one of the other students.

 

Suny nearly vibrated with excitement. “THIS,” he giggled out, holding up his picture for the class to see. “UNCLE SWABBY TOLD US ABOUT IT! IT’S SUNLIGHT AND RAIN TOGETHER WHICH MAKES PRETTY COLORS,” he explained. “BUT… YOU DON’T REALLY NEED THAT… YOU CAN MAKE RAINBOWS WITH UNCLE SWABBY AND BUBBLES TOO!”

 

“Uh... what?”

 

“UNCLE SWABBY SAID THE RAINBOW IS ON THE SURFACE,” Papyrus added, excited like Suny. “WHEN WE GET OUT OF THE UNDERGROUND THEN WE CAN SEE A REAL ONE!”

 

Suny nodded but frowned a bit when he saw the look on the teacher’s face. He shouldn't look sad… Rainbows were supposed to make people happy! 

So he copied his picture of the colorful rainbow onto another page and gave it the teacher.

 

He blinked a bit at that but finally smiled and patted Suny on the skull.

Suny beamed. Rainbows really DO make people smile!

 

SCHOOL WAS THE BEST EVER!

 

 

 

Papyrus, on the other hand, had a bit of difficulty.

When the teachers wrote something on the flipcharts it was ridiculously tiny and hard to read from where he sat. He wished they all would write in Papyrus since it was the perfect font for expressing very clearly what needed to be expressed. 

 

Other than that, he had lots of fun in his classes.

Arts and crafts was very fun with Suny and he was rather glad to have lots of classes with his younger brother.

He just wished that all of his brothers were there though... After all, it had been a long while since he had not seen Sans in so long…

The last time was during their escape when Sans would go out to find food or a safe route to... ‘away’ while Pyru guided over them.

Since Grillby found them they always were together. Eating, playing, sleeping, learning… All together. 

 

Even when the bad man came back, they weren’t separated just-- 

 

NO.

 

No, he didn't want to think about it.

He was in school and this was supposed to be fun!

 

Papyrus concentrated on his own picture.

The teacher had asked them to draw something that made them happy.

Papyrus selected his colors carefully. He was not as good in drawing as Pyru or Suny but he still wanted to make a good first impression on his teacher!

So he drew a rubix cube.

Then he added three colored blobs off to the side to signify Grillby, Fellby and Swabby. As well as six little white bodies for his brothers and himself because he would not let them be alone, even on his picture. 

 

“Ah, I see you drew your family, did you, Papyrus?” the teacher mused, smiling at the picture.

 

Papyrus thought about it for a moment before nodding. “Yes, they make me very happy,” he answered with a bright smile. 

 

The teacher chuckled. “Maybe you want to take the picture with you after the lesson? I am sure your father will like it.”

 

Papyrus blinked at the teacher. Again this word… ‘Father’. Papyrus KNEW it means the same as dad but it was still strange hearing people call Grillby that…

Though Swabby had once told them that he and Fellby were their uncles…

But Grillby remained just that. Grillby. The angel who saved them even if he kept reminding them that he was not in fact an angel.

Papyrus regarded the orange blob in his picture a moment longer. 

They were family. Uncle Swabby said so very often. Family. Family sticks together.

 

Finally, Papyrus nodded slowly.

 

 

 

Saz, meanwhile, was sitting all alone in his advanced history class.

He did not know what to think. He was conflicted. 

He was actually having fun. History was a very interesting subject! 

 

But Parz was not here and he felt a strange mixture of sorrow and anger at that fact. And Saz felt guilty enjoying something that he brother could not… or even worse, enjoying himself without knowing if his brother was having a good time or not.

It was mean that Grillby and Swabby insisted that they all took the test separately from each other. 

 

Still, he liked the class.

Their teacher, a bear like monster with the name Fluffynup, was really nice and knew a lot.

And there was so much history!

 

Saz rather liked it because you could only learn from mistakes in the past.

If he knew all of the mistakes, he could avoid all of them. Therefore, he could become a better brother. Finally! 

But other than that, it was just fun knowing about how things were back then.

 

He hoped Parz would understand… He also hoped that Parz would find something he enjoyed as well. 

 

The teacher continued with his lesson and Saz listened on with mixed feelings of happiness, guilt and sorrow.

 

 

 

The last lesson before lunch was sign language, talking in hands as some of the other children called it.

It was fairly easy. Just copying the hand-movements that Snowtail made and repeat what they mean.

And, well, seeing that it was their first lesson, all of them just practiced the ABCs.

 

Most of the students seemed to have fun with that, giggling while they formed the letters for their names and such. Parz, on the other hand, just wished that the lesson would end already. 

 

At first it wasn't that bad, just the usual aching of the joints and bones whenever he used his hands too much. But after the long school day and the first set of signs, the pain was just too much. His little hands refused to work for him and it took everything he had, as well as some mental shouting that he wasn't weak that sounded a lot like Fellby's voice, to not voice his pain or let it show just how much he just wanted to curl up and hold onto his much missed guardian.

Therefore, he just sat there in silence, watching the teacher and wishing for the bell to ring.

He could see that the teacher glanced in his direction more than once and he half expected to be called out for not participating but luckily Snowtail did not say anything.

Parz was really glad about that.

 

However, his brothers seemed to have not such problems.

Papyrus moved places at some point, Parz was uncertain as to when since he had not really been paying any attention to him, to sit in the front row close to Snowtail and was slowly following along, repeating her movements.

Sans and Pyru both seemed to fly through the signs, both of them grinning widely. Pyru would even sometimes stop too correct Suny's hand, prompting the smaller skeleton to giggle whenever he would do so. 

And Saz... well he had stopped signing shortly after Parz, looking a bit like he wanted to cry but held on just enough. Parz wondered if his hands hurt just as much as his own.

 

After a while he could also feel Pyru's eyes on him and a glance to his brother revealed a very worried expression. Parz frowned at that. 

It wasn't that he did not like Pyru. He was his brother after all, like Saz. And, deep down, he loved all of them. Even Saz.

Or did again... it was really confusing. 

Okay, maybe he never stopped loving his brother... even during the really bad days. He was angry and disappointed in Saz sometimes but even at his worst, he still loved his big brother. 

 

It was that love that saved both of their lives in the lab, shortly before they were found.

It was that love that stayed when Gaster came back.

No matter what happened, Saz would always be his brother, the first person who ever mattered and who understood him best. 

 

Nevertheless, there was always something else there… Even after hearing from Gaster how they were manipulated and how Gaster had given Saz unsolvable tasks... It was hard letting it go.

Things were complicated and thinking on it made Parz' head hurt. 

 

He really wished Fellby was back! Everything hurt less when he was there, when he would hug him and tell him that everything would be alright… not to mention that the heat always soothed his aching bones.

 

“Alright,” Snowtail said suddenly, pulling Parz from his thoughts. “The class is almost over. You’ll have your lunch break now and we see each other later after that.”

There was some excited mumbling from the class, even Parz perked up a bit.

“So please practice your ABC's at home and we can move on from there,” continued Snowtail smiling. “Next time we will learn some simple words so I hope you are all excited for that.”

 

Some kids cheered at the information and Parz just wanted to cup his hands over his skull though he knew that would just make the pain worse.

That was another thing he begun to hate about school. It was just too loud! There were to many people here and he just wanted to curl up somewhere warm and not think about anything. 

 

He did not even hear Snowtail ending the lesson. Suddenly it was a lot louder as children began cheering and running around gathering their stuff.

The sounds and the pain paralyzed Parz, locking him in place while his brothers gathered their books and stuff too. 

It took a few minutes until everybody was out before it was quiet again. When Parz looked up only his brothers were still there.

Sans, Papyrus, Pyru and Suny each were holding their books.

Sans was in a conversation with Papyrus, praising his brother for being able to do the whole alphabet now in sign.

Suny jumped in the air from time to time, his books not even seeming to phase him, excited about having lunch break and being able to see Grillby once more.

Then Saz was standing beside him, books in hand too. They shared a look and Parz felt the urge to say... something but he was unsure of what exactly.

 

Finally, Saz reached out and took Parz' books. 

Something warm ran through Parz' soul. He looked at his brother, knowing that he must be in pain too... but he could not bring himself say anything.

 

“Hey, you two, are you coming?” asked Pyru, interrupting Parz' thoughts.

 

Parz looked up and saw Pyru waiting for him with Suny happily holding onto his hand. Parz glared a tiny bit at that. His hands would hurt even worse if it were held in such a manner… Regardless, he slid out of his seat and walked to Pyru’s side with Saz following behind him. 

 

“Did you have fun too?” Pyru questioned, smiling as he looked to Saz. 

 

“A bit,” Saz replied quietly.

 

Parz glanced to him, not really knowing what to think. He was still carrying his books... 

A voice, that sounded a lot like Swabby, whispered that he should look out for his brother. Something wasn't right. Maybe he should hug him.

 

Parz glanced around.

 

Maybe when not everybody was looking… For now, they just had to get out of here and they could walk to Grillby's bar together. 

 

True to his word, Grillby was there, standing outside of the school waiting for them.

Parz felt himself smile a tiny bit, running towards the flame just like the rest of his brothers. 

 

 

 

Grillby smiled when the children came running to him, opening his arms to allow Suny and Papyrus to hug him while Pyru and Sans came up close as well.

Saz and Parz walked up at a slower pace. Parz smiling a tiny bit and walking a tiny bit faster, betraying his joy at seeing his caretaker while Saz struggled with what seemed to be his own and Parz' books.

 

Parz walked up closer to him after the other children had greeted him and backed off, looking up to him with a strange look.

Grillby smiled at the little skeleton. “Hello. Did you have fun?” he asked his children as soon as Saz was close enough too. 

 

He earned himself some cheers from the children. Suny, Papyrus and, oddly enough, Sans being the loudest as they all began talking over each other about how fun their lessons where. 

He blinked and crouched down to Saz, just noticing how the boy’s hands were shaking. “Saz, are those heavy? You can give them to me,” he offered.

 

Saz looked to Parz before shaking his head.

Grillby wanted to insist once more when Parz walked between them, looking up to him with a serious expression on his little face. 

 

“You said we could talk to Uncle Fellby now,” Parz reminded him strictly.

 

Grillby felt himself blinking. “Well, of course,” he said gently. “When we are at the bar we can try to call him.”

 

Parz nodded at that while Pyru came up to Saz.

Grillby saw how some books were handed over to Pyru but Saz kept an iron grip on some other books. 

During all of this, Parz took hold of the bottom of Grillby's shirt.

Grillby was a bit surprised by that but found himself smiling down to the boy. 

 

“So,” Papyrus’ voice cut into his thoughts. “Can we all talk to Uncle Fellby?”

 

“I hope so,” answered Grillby, a hand gently patting over Papyrus before he glanced back to Parz who was still holding on gently to his shirt, his little red eyes shining with resolve. Grillby knew that expression. “Want me to carry you?” he asked softly, only to smile when he earned a tiny nod. He crouched down and picked the little skeleton up, sitting him on his hip and carrying him easily.

Even with good food and growth spurts kicking in, all of the children were still small and easy to carry.

Parz took hold of the flame’s shoulder once he was settled. 

 

“Better?” Grillby whispered to him.

 

Parz nodded, snuggling close to him. 

 

He looked to the other children to see Pyru taking Saz' hand as Sans took both Papyrus' and Suny's. He double checked to make sure that everybody was there before heating up again and walking with them to his bar.

The weather was still absolutely terrible but his fire melted snow and kept the water away, keeping his children warm and safe and the ground free of snow and ice. 

 

“I just hope he answers,” mumbled Sans as they walked, his voice only audible because all of them were cuddled close to Grillby. “Uncle Fellby is silly sometimes.”

 

“Yeah, Uncle Fellby's been gone forever!” chipped in Suny. 

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Sans in agreement before looking up to Grillby. “And... you are sure that the summon spell won’t work?”

 

“I am quite sure Sans,” answered Grillby. Better not encourage them with that, the last attempt nearly cost him his couch.

Well, at least Swabby got a good laugh out of it.

Grillby wondered if the yellow flame ever showed Fellby the video… They probably should as soon as he comes back.

He looked back over the children whom all looked more or less disappointed. 

 

Damn it, Fellby, come back already. 

 

“But he did show up last time,” retorted Papyrus. “It worked!”

 

“I don't think he came because of the spell,” Grillby replied slowly, holding Parz a bit closer in order to warm him with his body heat when he noticed that Parz had started to shiver a bit. 

 

“We should ask Uncle Swabby to make pie,” spoke Pyru. “Uncle Fellby always comes for pie.”

 

“Maybe we can just ask him to come home now?” mumbles Saz lowly. “... or just ask Swabby to make pie...”

 

Pyru glanced over to Saz. “Or that.”

 

“Yeah!” giggled Suny, holding his free hand in front of himself. “He always wants to dip his fingers in the center of them and Uncle Swabby always smacks his hands.”

 

“Because you're supposed to use spoons for pie!” cried Papyrus. “Not fingers!”

 

Sans giggled at that.

Grillby had to grin a bit too. It really was funny each and every time. Especially the time when Swabby swatted Fellby’s hand with a big wooden spoon. Fellby's face was priceless! Grillby found himself smiling fully at the memory. He really wished he had a picture of that…

 

“Spoons are complicated,” mumbled Saz as if defending Fellby's behavior.

  
“Spoons are kinda necessary,” reminded Pyru.

 

“We can tell Fellby that Swabby will make pie when he gets back,” offered Grillby, chuckling as he looked up and saw the familiar glow of his bar. “We are almost there.” 

 

“Sometimes the spoons like to drop the food though,” Suny agreed, nodding to Saz. “So they can be kind of hard.” 

 

“Then Uncle Fellby should practice with us more and not use his fingers!” huffed Papyrus. “Maybe we should offer him help?”

 

Suny thought about that for a moment. “Yeah! Spoon lessons!”

 

Grillby chuckled at the thought as Parz laid his head against his shoulder. Grillby looked at the boy and saw telltale signs of exhaustion. Poor Parz must have spent all his energy during school... He petted him gently, making a shushing sound.

Parz yawned out and relaxed more into Grillby’s hold. 

 

“I think Fellby does it to tease Swabby,” giggled Sans. “Swabby looks really annoyed when Fellby does this.”

 

“Well, yeah, but spoons also can be slippery,” agreed Pyru. 

 

“They are hard to hold,” mumbled Saz.

 

Grillby sighed softly, trying to keep it low so the children would not hear. Saz and Parz both had difficulties with everyday tasks. There was not a day that went by which Grillby wished he knew what to do about it beside patiently helping them eat and practice. 

 

“The trick is that you have to make sure you get a good grip!” Papyrus told them proudly.

 

Grillby chuckled at that remembering that Papyrus always wrapped his whole hand around his spoon. “So,” Grillby spoke up, trying to steer the conversation in another direction. “What classes did you had today?”

 

After all, he still was their worried guardian… Father? No, no, he did not dare call himself that. He simply wanted to make sure that everything was still good with the boys.

However, the word kept sneaking up on him...

Father.

He didn't want to think about it, really. He was no father. He had no clue how to be…

He could be their guardian, their angel, but to be a father...

 

 

_Grillby was crying. Before him lay a broken flame, green in color though quickly turning a sickly yellow hue._

_His mother._

_He had not moved from her side in days even though Grillby knew he could not do anything in regards to the situation. It tore him apart._

_His father refused to even look at him anymore. It was as if there was somebody else inhabiting his body whom Grillby did not know.  
But Grillby still heard his father loud and clear._

 

“ _If she hadn't had Grillby... he took too much out of her when he formed. Every time I see him, I can’t help thinking about if he had never existed then… then she wouldn’t be laying there dying…”_

 

_Grillby stumbled back, his heart broken. He was shaking and shivering, finally understanding but feeling even worse because there was no way he could FIX this._

_He couldn't._

_He couldn't..._

 

Grillby pulled himself away from the memory, scolding himself for drifting off into these dark depths.

The past was long gone.

He had children now that needed his attention, not the ghost made of guilt and pain. 

 

Sans looked up, his eyes lighting up just like Suny's. “It was cool!” he declared. “Pyru and me had Theory of Magic together and it was great and Glacier knows EVERYTHING about magic.”

 

“Yeah, it was cool,” Pyru agreed though with much less enthusiasm. “Glacier told us about all sorts of magic.”

 

“... history,” Saz mumbled quietly. 

 

“SUNY AND ME HAD ARTS AND CRAFTS TOGETHER,” said Papyrus with excitement. “WE EVEN MADE A BUNCH OF PRETTY PICTURES! AND THE TEACHER LET ME BRING SOME HOME WITH ME!”

 

Grillby smiled at that. “Well, I am looking forward to seeing them,” he replied. “And you Parz?”

 

“I... don't know,” stated Parz weakly. “Some classes...”

 

“We didn't have too many classes together...” Papyrus mumbled sadly. 

 

“BUT PAPYRUS AND I ARE IN A LOT OF CLASSES TOGETHER!” chirped Suny. “NOT JUST ARTS AND CRAFTS.”

 

“And me and Parz have one class together without the others,” continued Papyrus. “But we didn't have that one today… I think we are supposed to have that tomorrow.”

 

“BUT THEN WE ALL HAD OUR LAST CLASS TOGETHER,” Suny informed. “AND IT WAS THE BESTEST CLASS!”

 

“Yeah,” agreed Sans, smiling up brightly to Grillby. “It was signing and it was a lot of fun.”

 

Pyru nodded. “We learned the ABCs in sign language. Soon we will be able to speak in hands just like you!”

 

Grillby chuckled, feeling real excitement over this. “That is great,” he said, meaning it with all of his soul.

He could mask his really bad days as signing practice then.

After all, there were things he does not want to bother the children with. 

 

He looked to Parz who still hadn't said anything more. “Didn't you also have Arts and Craft in your time table?” he asked gently. 

 

“Tomorrow,” Parz muttered. “Today was reading.”

 

Grillby gave a nod. All of the children knew the basics but only Sans and Pyru were good enough to fluently read and write. With Saz he was not too sure but he had the feeling that the small skeleton hid his actual progress. 

 

“... nobody else was in history with me,” mumbled Saz quietly.

 

Pyru hugged him again. “Now you have lunch with us,” he informed. “And that's better because it's lunch. And with us!”

 

Saz made a little squeaking sound prompting Parz to look down at him, although his head never left Grillby's shoulder. 

 

Grillby felt a tug on the bottom of his coat and when he looked, discovered Papyrus gazing up at him.

 

“Are you still working?” the boy asked. 

 

Grillby chuckled softly. “The bar is closed right now,” he explained gently. “I have work in the afternoon but only after you are home with Swabby.” It was an arrangement they made.

 

Even with help from some of the regulars, Grillby still had to work over the day time. There were a lot of monsters depending on his bar, both paying and not paying to be honest.

Besides, Grillby did not like the thought of using the gold the king gave him as his sold for himself. It just felt wrong paying with something he earned by killing others, war or not. 

He only ever touched the rather impressive reserves when he needed something for the children. The only time before that was when he gave Swabby the starting money to open his restaurant in Hotland. 

Therefore, he only worked in the bar when Swabby or Fellby looked after the children or when they were away at school. Though some of the dog guards helped him out at times and Swabby too had offered to help in the bar should the need arise. 

It was good knowing that there were people he could count on.

 

“So, there is nobody in the bar?” Sans questioned. 

 

Grillby smiled. “Very few,” he explained.

Some of the dogs were looking after the bar for him, showing up early for lunch, while he went to fetch the children.

 

“Is Greater Dog there?” asked Pyru. “He is great!”

 

Grillby couldn’t help but to smile. The dogs really had a big place in the children’s hearts. “Perhaps. He usually comes around this time...”

 

There was some cheering again.

Grillby, however, noticed how Saz stayed quiet, walking closely to him.

The small skeleton looked down, his tiny hands trembling around his books...

Grillby made a decision. Without stopping, he leaned down and picked Saz up too, holding him with his free arm close to himself, letting him warm up against his flames. He felt Saz relaxing in his hold, the boy’s tiny head snuggled into the crock of his neck. Grillby smiled at that and crossed the last few steps to his bar.

He managed to open the door with his foot, not wanting to set down the children just yet, and all of them huddled close once inside, relieved to be out of the snow. 

 

It was relativity quiet inside but that was to be expected. Only a few monsters were within the bar.

Greater Dog and Lesser Dog were sitting together in a booth while a random bunny slouched drunken at one of the tables. Doggo’s jacket was thrown over a chair indicating he had been there and was maybe still around but not within his usual seat.

 

All in all, it was nice and calm when his children ran into the bar, waiting for him to close the door and join them at their usual booth. 

He sat down with Saz and Parz, seeing that both of them still refused to let go of him.

The other children huddled up close to him as well, no doubt still warming themselves off of his heat. 

 

“Are we going back to school after eating?” Papyrus asked suddenly.

 

“Yes.” Grillby nodded. “There isn't much in the afternoon but your teacher will explain to you the work groups you can join.”

 

“So... we are eating here?” asked Pyru. “Always?”

 

“Yes,” answered Grillby. “Either myself or Swabby will come get you and bring you here during lunch time so that you can eat here.”

 

“Nice.”

 

Grillby chuckled at that. Well, he had to feed his children. He gently moved both Saz and Parz from his lap, sitting them down beside the others.

Pyru wasted no time in pulling Parz to his and Suny's side while Papyrus and Sans moved on either side of Saz. 

 

“I'll be right back. I'll just make you something to eat,” he informed them. He found it was always better to tell them exactly what was going on when he left them. He then stood up and pulled his phone out for the children. “Here... why don't you try to call Uncle Fellby in the meantime?”

 

Saz took the phone in his tiny hands as though it were a treasure.

Parz blinked up, looking to the phone, his excitement barely hidden even through his exhaustion.

Grillby smiled to him before sliding out of the booth, nodding towards Lesser Dog who nodded in return, a silent understanding that he would keep an eye on the children whilst Grillby was in the kitchen. 

 

The Dog Guards, after all, had Grillby’s full trust. 

 

The children, in the meantime, all looked over Grillby's phone, a device they all knew and had handled before. They had called Fellby some times in the past too but never used totally on their own. 

 

“...how do we call Uncle Fellby?” asked Papyrus after a few seconds a bit unsure.

Up until now they only got the phone when the connection was already made.

 

“I saw Grillby and Swabby doing it a lot,” explained Sans, pointing over to the button on the phone. “I think he got his number saved.” 

 

Pyru leaned over the table to them. “Yeah... uh... you have to press this button here, I think,” he added, pushing the button for Saz only to have the address book pop open.

 

There were not many names saved there.

There was Swabby, of course. Somebody named Magenta & Fuku. The Dog Guards were all listed with separate numbers, as well as some other names none of them ever heard.

And finally, the number they wanted.

 

“There is Uncle Fellby's name,” pointed Sans and pressed the green call button. 

 

All of them leaned in closer, listening to the dial tone ringing.

 

“Do you think he'll answer?” asked Suny after the second ring, standing in his seat to get a better look at the phone. 

 

“I hope so,” mumbled Papyrus. “If he does we can ask him to come home...”

 

“And tell him that Swabby makes pie,” added Pyru, smiling deviously. 

 

“It would be nice,” Saz muttered, still holding the phone tightly as though his life depended on the one call.

 

After the forth ring Fellby finally picked up, his voice a bit rough.

The boys could hear several people shouting in the background.

 

“Knock it off already!” Fellby shouted at someone in the background before his voice became clearer, speaking into his phone. “What?” 

 

The effect was quite spectacular. All of the children sat up straight, leaning over the phone and shouting their uncle’s name with excitement. Even Parz cheered loudly and did not seem to mind the noise. 

 

“Ugh!” came from the phone, the familiar sound causing Suny and Papyrus to giggle out in excitement. “Keep your voices down, I can hear you brats just fine,” he complained. “But... hey to you too, brats. Why are you calling?”

 

“Where are you Uncle Fellby?” asked Suny.

 

“Yeah and when will you be back?” questioned Sans. 

 

“Can you please come back?” Saz mumbled into the phone.

 

“We are getting Swabby to make pie!” Pyru informed, giggling a bit. 

 

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “Uh,” came after a while. “It's storming there ain't it?”

 

Papyrus deflated a bit. “Yeah... a bit...”

 

“But Uncle Swabby's here!” chirped Suny. 

 

“Yeah and it's not so bad,” Sans muttered out. “It's... just a bit snow and wind…”

 

“And we got Grillby. And pie,” added Pyru. Seeing the disappointed looks on Saz’ and Parz' faces, he added, “Pleeeeease come back soon?”

 

There was a beat of silence again.

“When are you coming back?” Saz asked, his voice tiny enough to perhaps not even carrying over the phone. 

 

“I…” There was a strange noise coming from the phone. “I um… Yeah where.. where is Grills at anyways?” Fellby changed the conversation. 

 

“He is making us lunch,” Sans informed him. “He said we could call you…”

 

“Yeah, we’re at Grillby's,” added Pyru. 

 

“It's very quiet today,” mumbled Saz, glad about that fact. 

 

“Of course you're at Grillby's,” Fellby sighed, thinking the Pyru meant Grillby’s house. “Where the hell else would ya be?”

 

“Noooo,” Suny giggled at that. “Not home, at his work!” he chirped. “Silly Uncle Fellby!”

 

“Huh?” Fellby sounded surprised. “You should be inside, it's storming there! What the hell is he thinking?!?”

 

“He is making us lunch,” Sans informed him simply. It was strange but funny when Uncle Fellby got like this. 

 

“And he melted the snow while we were walking,” added Pyru. “It was awesome!” 

 

“It's warm,” Saz spoke quietly. “And he carried Parz and me,” he added, hiding away his hands even knowing that Fellby would not be able to see or know about them hurting. He had the urge to tell him, but no like this.

 

“Are you coming home?” Parz questioned once more, voice stronger than before.

 

“Uh…” Fellby hesitated. “Soon.”

 

“When?”

 

“Just… soon, alright?”

 

“Very soon?” asked Saz. “Please?”

 

Sans pouts. “We really are getting Swabby to make pie.”

 

“The best pie ever,” agreed Pyru. 

 

That finally earned them a chuckle from Fellby. His next words were spoken with soft affection. “Brats... but yeah as soon as the storm is over.” 

 

“YAY!” cheered Papyrus.

Saz and Parz both smiled widely.

 

“How long will that be?” questioned Suny. 

 

“Hopefully not long,” mumbled Saz. 

 

“It's not blizzard season yet,” Sans spoke up. “The storm will be over soon.”

 

“So that means that Uncle Fellby will be home soon,” stated Pyru grinning. “Awesome!”

 

“I'm just uh... busy is all,” mumbled Fellby. “But I will come as soon as possible.”

 

“Are you working?” asked Parz curiously. 

 

“Uh... not exactly,” answered Fellby with a bit hesitation in his voice. There were some sounds in the background, the noise sounding as if Fellby was walking away from the source. 

 

“What are you doing?” asked Saz.

 

“Is it fun?” Pyru questioned, smiling a bit. 

 

Fellby was shouting something in the background again when Grillby reappeared at their booth, three plates of spaghetti on each arm which he put down in front of the children. “Here you are,” he said softly. “Did you call Fellby?”

Suny looked up to him with shining eyes and nodded. “Uh huh! We're talking to him now!” he said, pointing to the phone still lying between them. “He says he’s busy...”

 

“He’s not really working though,” mumbled Papyrus while getting his fork. “Whatever that means.”

 

Grillby raised an eyebrow at that, ignoring the fork that was floating in a halo of blue magic to Sans. “Do you mind if I talk to him for a bit?”

 

“Hmm... no,” giggled Sans, snatching up his fork and beginning to eat. 

 

“You okay with that?” Pyru asked Saz and Parz, both of whom were still sitting there looking at their food in silence.

Saz glanced over to Parz.

 

Parz just looked to the phone again. “You promise you'll come back soon?” he asked Fellby, his voice as strong as he could manage.

 

It broke Grillby's heart hearing him like this. Dammit, Fellby, come back already!

 

The other children were staring at the phone now too, even if they had already started eating.

 

There was a pause and a sound as though Fellby had taken a deep breath. “Yeah,” he answered finally with a softness Grillby seldom heard from him. “I'll be back before you know it.”

 

Saz nodded solemnly.

 

Parz put on a true smile. “Good,” he mumbled before looking back to his plate.

Pyru scooted closer, ready to help Parz with his fork while Sans did the same for Saz. 

 

Grillby watched the children eat for a second before taking the phone himself and moving a few steps away from the children. “Are you really coming back soon?” 

 

“Uh... hey Grills.”

 

“Hello, Fellby,” Grillby replied softly, not hiding his slight amusement. “The children miss you. I could barely avoid another... summoning attempt.” He paused, shaking his head. “But really, when exactly are you coming home?”

 

“I've just been... busy.”

 

Grillby frowned. “Busy with what?” he questioned, voice serious once more. “…Are you in trouble?”

 

“Well... not trouble exactly...” There was a loud crash somewhere behind Fellby. “…Not yet.”

 

“Fellby,” Grillby sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. “Do I have to talk with somebody from the guard again?” he grumbled. “You really should learn to stay out of trouble...”

 

“There are no guards involved,” came Fellby’s quick reply, a tone as if he were pouting. 

 

“Please don't hesitate to tell me if you need my assistance.” 

 

“I'm fine, Grills.” The pouting tone in Fellby’s voice even stronger, now with a little whine at the end. 

 

Grillby couldn’t help but to chuckle at that. “Alright, alright,” he said softly. “But don't stay away too long. The children really do miss you...” He felt himself grinning a tiny bit. “And I really did overhear that Swabby is planning to make pie.” 

 

“…What kind of pie?” 

 

“He is considering blueberry… What would you want?” 

 

“Something cinnamon.”

 

“Hmmm... How about apple cinnamon?” asked Grillby, remembering that they still had a lot of apples. “Or would you prefer butterscotch-cinnamon?”

 

“Apple,” mumbled Fellby suddenly. “With caramel.” 

 

Grillby chuckled at the request remembering, seemingly a lifetime ago, a similar request. “I will tell him so,” he promised. “Just come back soon, alright? The couch just doesn't look right without you sleeping on it.”

 

A light laugh was heard through the phone. “Well of course, it is my couch after all.”

 

“Your couch, huh?” Grillby questioned, shaking his head. 

 

“…Look… I'll be back soon... When the storm ends,” Fellby spoke up, a bit more serious now. “I promise.” 

 

“Alright,” Grillby replied gently. “If you want to come home early, just say a word... I can get you through the storm.”

 

“I think I'll take my chance with the guards.”

 

Grillby laughed at the dry tone of Fellby's response. “Please try and stay out of trouble.”

 

There was a small pause and the sound of glass shattering behind Fellby. “Yeah… you really should've called about an hour ago...”

 

“Fellby!” whined Grillby. “… Would it have prevented you getting into trouble if I had called an hour earlier?” he asked.

Fellby snorted.

 

“On a scale from 1 to 10, how much trouble are you in?”

 

“Uh,” Fellby muttered. “Maybe a 6.8 or… 7.3 at the highest.”

 

Grillby made an uneased sound. He had hoped for something at 5.5 maximum. “You want to tell me what kind of trouble you are in exactly?” he questioned, before lowering his voice. “Want me to help you get out of it?”

 

“Ugh I'm not a kid any more Grills!” complained Fellby. 

 

“I know. The kids at least listen to me if I tell them something,” teased Grillby. 

 

“Hardy har har.”

 

Grillby chuckled. “You didn't answer my question.”

 

“The fuck I didn't.”

 

“Will you?”

 

“I just did,” growled Fellby.

 

“Fellby...”

 

“Clean the soot out of your ears!”

 

Grillby found himself laughing. “You know it doesn't work like that, do you? And I asked if you needed help.”

 

“What?” asked Fellby a bit defensively. “Not enough customers to wait on there?” 

 

“It's quiet,” Grillby stated. “But that does not matter,” he said softly, continuing with a hushed voice. “You remember what I said to you... in the kitchen? You are family. Of course I care and want to help you…” He trailed off, staying silent for a moment before his voice shifted into something willed with affection and memories. “Idiot.”

 

“Shut up,” Fellby mumbled after a second of silence before speaking up, sounding more hurried. “Okay, okay. Just... tell the boys I'll see 'em soon, gotta go!”

 

The unmistaken sound of a lost connection came from the phone. 

 

Grillby blinked at his now silent phone before putting it away, shaking his head. “This idiot,” he mumbled to himself, heading back to the children. 

 

Fellby would be okay.

Surely, if he really needed help, he would call him…

After all, he came when Grillby asked him. He should know that Grillby would do the same for him.

 

 

 

Back at the table, his children nearly finished their meal.

Saz and Parz were still eating slowly but Papyrus had finished most of his plate, face now covered with sauce.

Suny was slurping up his last few noodles while Sans was trying to get the rest of ketchup in his mouth.

Pyru, who looked more or less clean save for a few specks on his skull, was still helping Parz a bit. 

 

“Looks like we need to wash you up before going back, huh?” Grillby said softly while getting some wipes for them. 

 

“Aww, really?” asked Sans, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. 

 

“What?” asked Papyrus looking around confused, not realizing that he was covered in sauce.

 

Parz looked up to Grillby, sighing out. “So Uncle Fellby isn't coming home?”

 

Grillby crouched down to him and shook his head. “He said as soon as the storm died down,” he explained softly. “He promised he will come home.”

 

“What is he doing anyway?” Sans questioned while getting some of the wipes Grillby had brought to clean himself.

 

Grillby chuckled, getting some wipes himself to clean up Papyrus and Suny. “What he always does... being an idiot.”

Pyru and Sans both giggled at that.

 

“Does that mean he's getting into trouble?” asked Suny with a bit concern in his voice. 

 

“Uncle Fellby is being a bad boy,” mumbled Papyrus, as Grillby cleaned up his face.

 

“Yeah,” the flame mumbled. “Big trouble from the sounds of it…”

 

“Uncle Fellby is always in big trouble,” Saz sighed out. 

 

“How long will the storm last?” asked Parz finally, looking up to Grillby.

 

It broke Grillby's heart that he could not say an exact time. “I am not sure, but it should end soon,” he replied softly, reaching out to pet gently over the tiny skull. “It is not yet Blizzard season after all.”

Red eyes blinked up to him, shining with barely hidden hope.

 

“Well, I hope so,” mumbled Sans. 

 

“But... what happens when blizzard season comes?” asked Papyrus. 

 

“Well… the storms just won’t let up,” Grillby answered. “But don't worry, Fellby will be back before then.”

 

“Will he stay through the blizzard season?” Parz inquired. 

 

Grillby hesitated. It was difficult predicting his cousin but he knew that the other flame hated being trapped in the house... on the other hand, he sure was one to surprise him from time to time. “I hope so,” he answered finally. “After all, we got enough food and warmth for him.” 

 

“You are right,” declared Papyrus. “After all, Uncle Swabby makes pie!”

 

“AND we can just give him big hugs if he gets cold!” chirped Suny. 

 

Grillby chuckled at that. “You do that. I am sure he'll like that.”

 

Suny nodded and beamed at him. “Uncle Swabby says hugs warm the soul!”

 

“Sounds like Uncle Swabby is a pretty wise flame, huh?” Grillby spoke, smiling softly. That really did sound like something Swabby would say… He could declare this tiny fact as a truth. 

 

 

“ _Hey,” a soft voice spoke out behind Grillby. “You look like you need a hug... Can I give you one?” Bright flames and so tiny but a hug that was so warm, much more so than the child’s flames would let on._

 

_Grillby couldn't help himself and hugged back. This tiny flame, so small yet full of potential and life and hope. He held this tiny flame that was glowing like the sun without being unbearable and his soul seemed to melt a tiny bit and with it the burden pressed down upon it. “_

 

_You... are a bright one, huh?” he said softly, the first words he spoke in days._

 

_The face in front of him was the brightest he ever saw._

_A reminder of why he fought in the first place._

_Why there was still hope._

_A hug that warmed a soul..._

 

 

“Yeah, he is awesome!” declared Pyru, pulling Grillby from his memories.

 

“Yeah,” Sans nodded at that. “And he makes pies!”

 

Grillby let out a chuckle. “Yeah... that he does,” he said softly, finally finishing cleaning up Papyrus.

 

“And he can get uncle Fellby to behave,” chipped in Papyrus. 

 

Grillby laughed out. “Clearly a monster of great wisdom.” 

 

Sans giggled at that and hugged Papyrus as soon as Grillby let go of him.

 

“I just hope Fellby comes home soon,” mumbled Saz, being caught between the hugging bodies of his brothers. 

 

“Do we have to go back?” Parz asked suddenly. 

 

“Yes,” Grillby replied gently, “but not for long. I will even stay at the school until you are finished.”

 

Parz blinked up at the flame. “What will you do?”

 

“I will just stay outside.” He smiled a bit. “The storm doesn't bother me after all.”

 

Papyrus looked concerned. “Won’t you get cold?”

 

“No, I won't,” answered Grillby, patting softly over all of their skulls. “Don't worry. If it really gets bad, I can stay inside the school.”

That was met with a small nod.

Grillby looked over the plates. “Alright... I think we should head back now.”

 

There was some mumbling as the children got out of the booth and Grillby gathered the plates to place them back into the kitchen.

He returned to them, smiling softly. “Then head back.”

 

There was some struggling again with the jackets.

This time, Grillby gently helped Parz, who luckily seemed much more energetic now, and Saz, who still looked a bit subdued. “How was history, Saz?” he asked gently.

 

Saz flinched a bit at first, glancing to Parz but as no reaction came from his brother, looked back up at their caretaker. “... good,” he mumbled. “... it was fun. And... uh…” He trailed off, blushing red with his magic. “The teacher said I... I did good because I knew the answer to his questions,” he whispered to Grillby as if this was a grand secret.

 

“That is great.” Grillby smiled gently trying to be reassuring, petting him too. “I am proud of you.”

 

Saz made an even smaller noise at the words, snuggling a bit closer to him before hugging him a tiny bit.

Grillby hugged gently back with one arm. 

 

The walk back was a bit slower. Besides Saz and Parz, Sans and Pyru both were tired out and even Papyrus seemed to have spent most of his energy during the morning.

Grillby was glad that the children did not have lessons in the afternoon.

Though he noticed how Parz' little hand twitched in his but whenever he looked towards the skeleton, Parz seemed not to notice and just walking on with the others in the protective bubble of hot air that surrounded Grillby. 

 

“I am curious about the workgroups,” said Sans suddenly, voice a bit dragged out but there was still a shimmer of excitement glowing in his eyes. 

 

“You think they got a science club?” Pyru mused. “Or a music club?”

 

“I wanna have a star club,” Sans retorted. “Stars are cool.”

 

“I wanna have a drawing club!” chirped Suny.

 

“I’m sure they got one,” Pyru told his brother. “There were lots of pictures on the walls in the school.”

 

“What all sort of clubs are there?” asked Papyrus.

 

“Well, the teacher will explain everything to you,” Grillby replied gently. “But I am sure there will be things like a music club, an arts and craft club and several others for you to choose from… perhaps even a cooking club.”

 

“But we're not supposed to go near the stove,” Papyrus reminded him. 

 

“You can cook without fire, you know,” Grillby replied with a smile. “And they will supervise you if you want to learn cooking.”

 

“Nobody cooks better than Grillby or Swabby anyway,” Pyru snorted. 

 

“...yeah,” agreed Saz quietly. 

 

“Oh... Do you think you or Uncle Swabby could teach us?” asked Papyrus, looking up hopefully to Grillby. 

 

“I don't wanna do anything else at school,” mumbled Parz. 

 

“Well... we could show you some things,” Grillby answered. “If you really want? And...” he looked down to Parz. “You can still listen to the things first. I am sure you'll find something you would like... Otherwise you would be home all alone.”

 

Parz looked down, mumbling more to himself. “I wanna go home”

 

“Aww but school is fun,” Suny spoke. “You can't give up now!”

 

“Why do you want to go home?” Grillby asked gently, stopping to get on his knee so that he was more eyelevel with Parz. “Are you not feeling well?”

 

Parz blinked to him for a moment before turning his head away and remaining silent. 

 

“Hey,” Grillby whispered, frowning slightly. “You can tell me... If you really can't do it, I'll bring you home to Swabby… Alright? We just walk the others back to school and then head back home,” he offered because, truly, he would never force any of the children to do something they truly did not want to. If Parz felt unwell, he would not make him go to school. 

 

The other children noticed of course, all of them looking at Parz with one form or another of concern. 

“Parz, are you alright?” asked Pyru, coming closer to look at his brother. 

 

“I'm fine,” mumbled Parz. 

 

Grillby looked him over but Parz did not gave him any sign of distress. “Alright,” he finally replied with a sigh. “We'll go to the school first. If you still want to go home, we can, alright?”

Parz gave a small nod. 

 

Grillby smiled, happy that Parz was at least willing to try. He stood up again, heating up a bit more to keep the snow, water and cold air away from them before they continued their walk back to school.

 

Suny tugged lightly on Pyru's sleeve. “Is Parz really okay?”

 

“I don't know,” Pyru mumbled his reply. “But Grillby is looking after him... so it's going to be alright.” 

 

They trusted him.

His children trusted him and he, in return, was doing his best.

Though nothing could change the fact that he was struggling with himself the whole way. Most of the time, he had no idea what he was doing... but he did his best. 

Grillby just hoped it was enough for these wonderful boys. Enough to help them, to make them happy and help them grow into adults who could live their lives to the fullest.

 

“So... what do we do at the clubs?” asked Papyrus after a while, getting back to their original topic. 

 

“Well,” Grillby began, “you can choose whatever you want to do.” 

 

“Sounds pretty neat,” replied Sans.

 

Grillby looked ahead, seeing the soft glow of the school. “Ah, we are almost there,” he told them all. “Snowtail will tell you everything you need to know there.”

 

“Hmmm do we have to stay for the club today?” asked Suny. “Or do we get to go home?”

 

“You come home with me,” Grillby answered. “Today are just the explanations and nothing more. Though you will have a bit time to choose what you want to do too.”

 

“And if we don't?” asked Parz. 

 

“Well...” Grillby glanced to Parz once more. “It is expected that you choose something... but if you really don't want to do anything, you don't have to. You could do your homework in that time or get help in classes you are not so good in…”

 

“How often do we come to school?” asked Papyrus frowning. 

 

“Five times the week. You will have the weekends free,” chuckled Grillby, remembering having told this the children a few times already. He was not to surprised that they forgot, there were a lot of new information to take in these past few days. “And of course whenever there is a holiday… Plus there are vacation times too.”

 

“Wait... EVERYDAY?!?” asked Suny shocked. 

 

“That's a LOT of school,” muttered Papyrus. 

 

Grillby chuckled. “You think that now but you will get used to it,” he informed them softly. “For now, it is a test for all of you. If you can't handle that much just yet, we will find another solution.”

 

It was the wrong phrasing. Grillby realized just a moment too late.

 

Parz stiffened next to him “Test?” he asked, his voice tiny and held a hint of fright.

 

Grillby back paddled. “Not... not that kind of test,” he assured quickly. “What I meant to say was that we will just... try this,” he continued gently, trying to explain. “There... is no pressure that any of you HAVE to do something.”

 

“Then what do we do?” asked Parz sounding a bit lost. 

 

“What do you mean?” questioned Grillby before letting out a soft sigh. “Parz... you all need an education,” he explained. “And we can't give you the best at home alone... We, even Fellby, just want for you to learn some important things and... make some friends other than your brothers.” 

 

Parz just looked at him, seemingly thinking about it.

 

Suny next to him giggled out. “I like the kids here,” he said. “They're really friendly!”

 

“Yeah,” agreed Papyrus. “We will make so many friends!”

 

“And the teacher was great too,” added Sans. 

 

“Yeah,” agreed Pyru. “School was pretty fun so far.”

Even Saz hummed a bit though still looked towards Parz. 

 

Grillby brought them to the door again and pulled each of them into a warm hug. “Have fun.” He paused, however, before hugging Parz. “Do you still want to come home with me?”

 

Parz just shook his head, staying at his brother’s sides. 

 

“You’ll get us after school again?” Sans questioned, interrupting them.

 

“Of course,” the flame replied. “I will wait for you right here.”

 

And thus he did so. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you remember how I told you how we thought the Dark Past chapters would be like... 20 pages? Yeah, we thought the school chapters would be a lot smaller too... *sighs*
> 
> BUT: We can promise you a Halloween Chapter! It should be up around the 30th. It will be NOT set in the school day chapters, so look out for that, but it will set up things to come after we finished the First School Days storyline. *winks* Stay tuned
> 
> Thank you for everybody who commented again. (Why do people not trust us to write perfectly fine fluff for a while? :D) Thank you also to everybody sharing and liking the links on tumblr. 
> 
> Welp, I guess we see each other then in roughly a week. Have a nice time until then!


	17. Intermission: Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little look back to the past and in the mind of Parz and his relationship with Saz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween people! Please beware the trigger warnings, this is not a happy chapter, we are timeline-wise now in the second year of the children staying with the flames, after the "A dark past" chapters but before their first School days. Have fun (and bring tissues).

If one would ask Parz about his brother he would be hard-pressed to answer.

It was not that he felt nothing for Saz… It was just that he felt a bit too MUCH to really comprehend. It was difficult for him to even sort it all out in his head, let alone put it to words and overthinking just gave him a headache.

He always had a bit trouble with feelings. Unfortunately, the ones he understood best were anger and frustration.

 

Nobody really knew what set him off this time and Parz himself could not truly remember. Something annoyed him so he pushed down and bottled up his anger until the pressure on his soul became too much for him to handle. He could not shift correctly but his hands still had claws and he used them to attack when he finally gave in to his rage.

Saz was barely putting up a fight, his snarl more a token effort than real. For some reason, that alone made Parz even more angry.

The loud crack of Parz forcing Saz to the ground attracted his brothers who came running in with shouts for him to stop when suddenly there was a bright blue blur between them.

Suny grunted as he forced his way between the two fighting skeletons, turning sharply so that he could push them apart. “ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!” he howled as he stomped one foot repeatedly against the floor.

Parz blinked up at his smallest brother, having landed rather roughly on the ground due to the shove. He never knew that his youngest brother could be so… powerful. He barely even noticed, out of his peripheral vision, how Papyrus leaned down to help Saz while Pyru was suddenly... behind him? When did that happen?

Suny poofed out his cheeks as he half glared down at the slightly taller skeleton, his tiny hands balled into fists at his sides, emitting sparks of blue magic. “YOU NEED TO STOP THIS!” he shouted at them. “ALL YOU EVER WANNA DO IS FIGHT! AND IT’S NOT-“

Parz, who would normally be glaring at the person who dared to interrupt him, just sat there stunned. His eyes widened as a memory pushed itself forward, drowning out Suny’s upset voice.

 

 

“ _Kill him.”  
_

 

_P2 looked towards the voice echoing through the intercom, hesitating.  
_

_He never hesitated before._

_His brother was standing in front of him shivering, his eyes wide but dim. He truly was pathetic, useless and all the other things their creator said about him. He let him down time and time again… because of such, he hurt so much._

_P2 still felt the phantom pain of every punishment he received because S2 failed to do the simplest tasks._  
So, of course, P2 never hesitated in attacking him when prompted. He was just returning what he received. After all, it was hurt or be hurt. And S2 was so very useless.

_But still...  
_

 

“ _Don’t make me repeat myself, P2,” their creator growled a bit louder.  
_

 

_P2 shivered a bit._

_It was never a good thing when the man got angry… It meant they got hurt. Or that S2 would disappear for hours and come back even weaker than before, shaken and not talking to him at all._

_P2 turned to his brother who was still sitting there, shifted into his canine form with eyes wide and red, so full of FEAR. P2 did not understand.  
_

“ _FIGHT! KILL HIM, P2.”  
_

_P2 opened his mouth and let out a blast of heated magic, aiming at his brother who dodged with a shrill chirp. P2 stared at the black patch that his attack left upon the floor. He had not even thought about it, the voice just told him..._

_S2 was standing there again, looking at him fearful, bones rattling but otherwise did not make a sound.  
_

“ _Dust him already, P2! Perhaps as LOVE he will finally be of some use.”  
_

_P2 felt himself shiver at the command._

_LOVE._

_He had seen once what LOVE could do._

_S5 and P5 had gained LOVE...  
_

_They had become twisted. Looking as if they were melting and completely out of their minds. All they had wanted to do was fight and yelp at one another before… before…_  
_They finally let out a haunting scream before turning into piles of dust…_  
_P2 did not hear them anymore after that but he dreamed about them on occasion since then.  
_

_P2 gulped back his fear. No, he did not want LOVE!_

_Besides... kill S2?!? To turn his brother to dust and never… He was useless, yes, but..._

_But...  
_

_He hesitated.  
_

_Their creator did not like that. “What is the hold-up? Was he not a burden for you? Was he not the reason I had to punish you so relentlessly?” he spoke, his voice ringing with reason. “S2 is an utter failure… he cannot complete even the simplest of tasks and he will be gone soon regardless. SO FIGHT HIM!”  
_

_P2 felt his soul shiver.  
_

_He cried out and finally jumped, tackling his brother to the ground.  
_

_There were bones cracking but not quite to the breaking point.  
_

_P2 snarled at his brother, his clawed paws coming down to rest on S2's shoulder and chest, leaning his full weight on him.  
_

_There was more cracking.  
_

_S2 put up a disappointing amount of struggle, stopping completely as soon as P2 had him pinned to the ground.  
_

_The fight was over before it even really begun.  
_

_P2 crouched, pinning S2 to the floor with a bit more force, S2's shoulder giving a cracking noise in warning.  
_

_It would be easy.  
_

_Just press down a little bit more… just lean down and bite… just use one of the painfully hot blasts..._ _In this position, S2 could not get away. S2 could not do anything. He was completely at his mercy and mercy was something long since beaten out of them.  
_

_It would be easy.  
_

_He could make sure he never suffered for his stupid brother’s mistakes…  
_

_HE WOULDN'T HAVE TO HURT ANY MORE!_

_But..._

_But...  
_

_Big red eyes were looking at him, one of them almost invisible due to a small crack in the skull. His brother made no sound, just looking up at him with fear in his eyes but also... acceptance?  
_

_Had S2 accepted that he was a failure? Was this maybe even what he wanted? For P2 to kill him? For P2 to gain LOVE?_

_He would be stronger...  
_

_But… this was his brother. The only other thing he knew in this dark and painful world..._

_S2 hugged him when he was cold and gave him his food when he was hungry. He taught him how to speak and told him how to complete the tests in the beginning, he even cheered for him when he begun solo tests. S2 held him during the nights he had nightmares, comforted him when he was in pain and hurting, always telling him he was sorry...  
_

_Could he really... really...?_

_He would be alone! He... he would be alone. S2 would be gone and then... and then..._

_No._

_He didn't..._

_He couldn't..._

_He needed time! He needed… needed…_

_P2 begun shaking, his body refusing to do anything._

_Was he weak too?_

 

“ _Hmph,” came the disappointed snort over the intercom. “Looks like you need a bit more motivation.”_

 

_There was a click and blinding light as the door swooshed opened._

_A low growl emanated from within the brightness._

_P2 winced at the light, trying to peer at the shadowy figure in its center but before he could fully make it out, he felt the prickling sensation of magic and had only a fraction of a second to dodge the beam fired at him._

_His jump to the side caused S2 to fly in the opposite direction, saving both of them from a heated blast.  
_

_The growl sounded again and the shadowy form lunged forward, knocking against P2._

_P2 hit the ground hard, a bit dazed and blinking as he looked up to see what attacked him. Something boney and off-white..._

_S2?_  
  
_No, they just looked like his brother. Just… a bit taller with a crack down one eye socket. They did, however, have similar glowing, deep red eyes though these were staring at him cold and hateful, completely void of anything that was S2. His claws looked sharper and P2 could tell that this skeleton’s teeth were much larger, more fang like than anything else._

_But... there was still that round-ish skull structure and big eyes that his brother had. So... maybe another?_

_He knew there was a S5 so there should have also been a 3 and 4 right? He and his brother were 2… so there must have been a 1 before them as well…_

 

“ _S4,” their creator spoke calmly over the intercom, “Kill them.”_

 

_He had no time to think as S4 dived at him again, sharp claws aimed at his throat. P2 let out a growl of his own, having no other choice but to vault backwards to try and keep distance between them._

_However, S4 was incredibly fast along with his strength and all P2 could to was to keep him away from his more vulnerable spots. Still, each landed strike took a good part of P2's HP and P2 was horrified when he realized that he did not seem to do much damage himself when he finally managed to land a hit._

_Something cold shivered through his soul._

_He might not be strong enough._

_He could lose this fight._

_He could be killed._

_Turned to dust and LOVE for this... this nightmare version of his brother!_

_S4 lunged at him again, eyes full of murderous intent and mouth formed into a snarl before opening again, magic gathering behind sharp teeth._

_P2 was frozen to the spot. The air around him felt thick and heavy, as if it were physically trapping him place. He saw, as if in slow motion, S4 coming closer, closer..._

_Suddenly there was something white and red whizzing past his view._

_A crash combined with the sound of bones snapping and a loud, sharp yelp._

 

“ _GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER,” S2 screamed out, his voice rough and misused, still in a half transformed state_

 

_P2 blinked, not believing what he saw. S2, his pathetic, useless, weak brother, had just tackled S4 to the ground and was clawing at every part of the skeleton he could reach. P2 watched in wonder how his brother attacked S4, snarling and growling and scratching and firing his beam over and over..._

_Until S4 kicked out, knocking S2 away._

_S2 hit hard against the wall, his painful cry mixing with the harsh snapping sound as some of his bones finally shattered, bones P2 had weakened just minutes before. Red magic dripped to the ground from S2’s wounds._

_S4 came closer to S2 who was too dazed and hurt, whimpering with no doubt only fractions of HP left, to do much to stop the approaching monster._

 

“ _Now kill him, S4,” commanded the harsh, uncaring voice. “Take the LOVE you so rightfully deserve.”_

 

_Blue magic tingled within the air._

_S4 opened his mouth, charging up a blast._

_P2 could only watch in horror but slowly, surely, a thought gained momentum within his mind._

_S4 was going to end this, he wouldn't hesitate._

_This thing would kill S2._  
  
This thing would kill his brother!

_He would be gone, lost forever, never to come back.  
_  
_He would be gone… turned to dust and…_  
  
_And…_  


_And..._

 

“ _NO!” he screamed out, crashing his full body against the taller skeleton causing the beam to form a crater within the wall just barely a foot from where Saz lay crumbled. “FIGHT ME!” he shouted once more before tackling S4._

 

_S4 seemed surprised as P2 tackled him, knocking him off balance causing them to roll around the floor as P2 clawed at him again and again until his claws begun cracking, magic seeping from the fractures and coloring each impact on S4 in deep red._

_P2 shifted to his canine form as S4 managed to scramble out of his grasp. He charged his magic, firing his blaster again and again at the taller skeleton though his magic wasn’t as developed as S2’s… and nowhere near the power of S4’s own magic._

_S4 growled at the damage done to his body, transforming fully himself._

_P2 whimpered as he witnessed the change, his tail curling half under his right leg as he took a step back.  
_

_S4 grew to a hulking size, towering over P2. Spikes sprouted down his back, along his spine, and his tail became whip-like, lashing from side to side, forming an impression wherever it hit. His growl seemed to shake the very ground they stood upon._  
_S2 tried pushing himself up only to be knocked into another wall by the tail, letting out a scream as his ribs broke too before falling silent._

_P2 feared for a moment S2 would turn to dust but he had no time to check. S4 was attacking him again and P2 only narrowly managed to escape. He growled, using his last bit of energy to charge his magic. Red magic shifted from P2’s core, creating a foggy haze around his body._

_S4 leaped forward, biting down on P2’s shoulder, dislocating and breaking the joint.  
He wailed out, firing his beam prematurely but it was enough to knock the over-sized monster away from him. P2 staggered to stand on his four legs._

_He had no time!_

_He had to… to do SOMETHING!_

_P2 glanced around quickly. There had to be something he could use or something he could run behind…_

 

“ _LOOK OUT!”_

_  
The warning came a moment too late._

_The beam hit the side of his skull before he could move away._

_The pain was white hot._

_There was an awful cracking sound as something broke yet P2 could not tell what it was._

_White and red filled his vision._

_He was blind._

_IT HURT!_

_IT HURT!_

_IT HURT!_

_S4 seemed surprised as P2 tackled him again, clawing and biting at him blindly, at wherever he could reach._

_P2 just continued attacking, pushing the taller beast to the ground. His claws ripping at the bones and rib cage._

_Then he felt it…_

_Something seeping with magical power._

_P2 paused, one paw wrapped around whatever it was admitting the signal._

_He was still blinded, unable to see what it was exactly but holding it like this made him feel a strange mixture of rage, pain, desperation and… fear?_

_Before he could fully comprehend, S4 fired a blaster himself, hitting P2 directly in the chest and knocking him into the adjacent wall._

_P2’s vision just began clearing against the pain, his fingers gripping tightly around the gooey red object, his mind filled with strange emotions similar but still different._

_He blinked, looking down at the strange magical object he had gripped so tightly between his claws. Where had this come from? What was it?_  
  
_The object emitted a surge of fear causing P2 to jerk sharply, claws gouging deep into it’s very center._

_S4 let out a horrify shriek, a wail that reached the very core of P2's soul and was echoed with an emotion P2 never had experienced, as the object within P2’s hand turned to dust, S4's body following shortly afterward._

_The strange emotions disappeared and for some reason P2 almost felt... alone._

_Suddenly, something new burned within P2, laying heavily against his soul, gripping it like a vice._

_P2 cried out weakly through the broken bones and magic leaking from the newly formed crack in his skull._

_He did it._

_He had killed!_

_He somehow killed S4!_

_This had to be EXP._

 

_LOVE._

 

_It was so heavy..._

_He felt stronger yet at the same time smaller and weaker than ever before._

_His skull hurt so much, he could barely see even now and everything was… wrong._

_Wrong, wrong, WRONG!_

_P2 scrambled back from the pile of dust, swiping frantically at his arm trying to remove the traces upon his paw._

 

“ _Hmmm... That was rather unexpected,” the voice mumbled, seemingly more to himself than anyone in particular. “Well you both are rather useless now… seems I’ll have to use the third series after all.”_

 

_There was a clicking sound and the lights went out, leaving them alone in the darkness, together with the dust of S4._

_Something prickled in P2’s good eye._

_Was he crying? He hadn’t cried in… a very long time. Yet he was unable to stop the flow._

_It wasn’t fair!_

_It hurt!_

_And he wanted…_

_He wanted more than anything for S2 to hug him and tell him everything would be okay._

_He wanted S2 to hold him and tell him that it won't hurt and he want to BELIEVE him._

_He wanted to go back to when things weren't this hard or this painful._

_He wanted to go back to when everything was easy, when he could TRUST his brother and could believe him when he told him he was looking out for him…_

_Where he still knew that whatever happened, S2 would protect him and make him feel safe._

_He wanted the pain to go away, for it to stop and... and..._

_S2 was moving weakly towards him. He too was crying and looked as if he was also in pain._

_It took everything left within him but P2 moved a bit, crawling to his brother’s side, all the while sobs still wrecking his body._

 

 

“Parz!” the voice echoed within his mind as the tear begun falling fast down the sides of his face.

 

 

_S2 looked down at the smaller skeleton, eyes wide and full of tears. Afraid and hopeful. Feeling hopeless and hurt and... and…_

 

 

“Parz?” A hand lightly gripped his shoulder. “Parz, what has gotten into you?”  
  
“Are you crying?” a second voice questioned sounding rather surprised.

 

 

_P2 reached out and pulled S2 close, as best as he could, and felt S2 hugging him back._

_They both knew that they had precious little HP left._

_HP that was slowly decaying._

 

“ _I'm sorry,” S2 whispered. “So sorry...”  
_

 

_P2 could not say anything. He could barely even focus on the words S2 was saying. He just wanted things to end. He wanted to be out of the darkness. He wanted to stop hurting. He wanted to… to…_

_He wanted for both of them to be free of this existence, somewhere where it did not hurt just to wake up._

_But they were in the darkness…_

_His brother was fading._

_S2 was falling and P2 had the fearful thought that he too would follow._

_They would die._

_They would be turned to dust just like all of the others…_

_But… At least, for the moment, he had still S2. At least they were together._

_At least they were not alone in the darkness._

_They stayed like this for a time, breathing and shivering just waiting for the darkness to finally swallow them whole._

 

 

“Parz? PARZ!” Somebody was calling out to him, shaking him roughly.

 

Parz let out a tiny noise. He wished they’d all just leave him alone! He wished they’d just STAY AWAY!

 

 

_The door shattered open with a blast, white light flooding inside the tiny prison._

 

“ _Oh no!”_

 

_Something came running up to the two injured skeletons._

_Coming closer and no no no no STAY AWAY!_

 

 

“Come on, Parz, there’s no need to cry.”

 

“Brother?” a third voice joined the mix. “Parz, hey…”

 

“I didn’t mean to,” mumbled a fourth voice. “I just… I wanted…”

 

“It’s okay, Suny. Just… help Papyrus, okay?”

 

“I'll get Uncle Fellby, you look after them!”

 

“Okay,” the previous voice continued before turning back to him. “Hey, Parz, come on...”

 

 

_They did not expect for the light to come and rescue them.  
_

 

“ _Come on,” a gentle voice spoke. “We’re getting out of here.”  
_

 

_A gasp shortly followed the voice. “They’re so hurt.”  
_

 

“ _We have to go, we have to go,” the first voice urged. “We are free, come on...”  
_

 

_Hands were reaching for his brother. They were going to take him away and leave him alone in the darkness!  
_

_NO! He wanted to keep the ONE THING he had left!  
_

_An arm was in front of him, touching S2. He did the only thing he was still able to manage, he lashed forward and bit down as hard as he could, feeling the bones crunch under his fangs._

 

 

There were more noises, shuffling sounds.

 

“Please, brother, stop crying... it's...” the voice now sounded a bit panicked. “Why are you crying, are you hurt?”

 

 

“ _Urgh,” the voice sounded in pain. “Please let go of my arm... Hey, we’re here to help,” they insisted. “I'm P3 and this… this is S1 or um Sans.”  
_

 

“ _Come on,” the other voice, Sans, spoke nervously. “We have to go before he comes back."  
_

 

_He was too weak to even hold on to the arm for long and soon felt himself let go against his will. He tensed up, preparing himself and holding S2 close. He would not fall down alone! He would not be left alone in the darkness! He refused to._

 

 

“Parz!” Saz’ voice rung clear against the others within the room. There were arms around him and he whimpered, still sobbing. “Uh go away, just give us space!”

 

Suddenly there were warm arms around him, joining the first set, lifting them up and cuddling them close to the heat. “All of you, get out!” the slightly harsh voice spoke out. “Grills, just... go make tea with Swabby or something.”

 

“But...”

 

“We want to help!”

 

“Brats,” Parz felt the sigh from the person holding him and Saz close, “the best thing you can do at the moment would be to go and give us some breathing room here.”

 

 

_He was lifted together with his brother and something was wrapped around them, his head and their various broken bones and then placed on something humming with warm magic.  
_

 

“ _I'll carry them; you can carry the little ones.”  
_

 

“ _... alright. Now fast, the angel said we don't have much time!”_

 

 

The world of the past fell away. Parz opened his eyes and saw blue flames flickering softly.

He was still in his and his brothers’ shared room, now sitting in Fellby's lap snuggled between his and Saz’ arms.

There were still tears sticking to his skull.

 

“Hey, brat, finally awake?” asked Fellby, a hand on his skull petting him gently.

 

Parz just nodded not yet trusting his voice. Warmth seeped into his skull, against the old cracks, and helped him relax. The pain went away slowly, very slowly.

 

“Bad day, huh?”

 

He gave another nod.

 

“It's alright,” Fellby said quietly. “Just... take it easy. Relax. I got you both.”

 

Parz nodded and snuggled a bit closer to Saz and Fellby, just now noticing how tightly he was holding his brother.

 

 

“ _Don't worry, little brother,” P3 spoke in a gentle voice, far gentler than P2 ever heard before. “I got both of you.”_

 

 

Parz held on to Saz just a tiny bit tighter.

 

“Would ya look at that,” snorted Fellby suddenly. “He’s already out of it.”

 

Parz looked up and sure enough Saz was already snoring slightly, his head resting against Fellby’s chest. “Lazy,” he mumbled, voice cracking from crying earlier.

 

“A nap doesn’t sound half bad…”

 

Parz yawned in response. Saz was most likely affected them.

 

Fellby continued to pet over Parz’ skull. “Welp, we better get to it before the others come back… They’ll never let us sleep.”

 

Parz made a tiny sound, snuggling to Fellby as he wrapping his arms around Saz, pulling him to himself. He still felt the warm hand on his head, Saz’ easy breathing in his arms, magic very much like his own humming against his bones and something different, something that was never within the lab...

Parz closed his eyes again, breathing deeply and letting S2 and P2 sleep in his memories.

He might not know how exactly to describe his feelings for Saz or for a lot of things… but maybe it didn't really matter.

Family, as Swabby always put it, seemed to describe things quite nicely.

He fell asleep in the arms of his uncle and brother, knowledge in his mind that they were safe and sound, away from any kind of darkness.

 

 

 

Not far from them, at the bridge between Snowdin and Waterfall, a lone monster stood with a piece of paper in his skeletal hand, his face twisted into a grin. 

 

He had finally found his naughty little lab rats.

He had to admit, he was rather surprised by how far they made it… not to mention that they even found somebody stupid enough to take them in.

Well, it could not be helped.

 

Time to get his property back.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, there it is. XD We had thought about having the Gaster-Returns-Storyline now, but... well, the school day chapters became more than we thought AND Gaster's Return shouldn't be rushed, important stuff for the characters happen there. So, please, have a tiny bit patience there, we are doing what we can. 
> 
> Welp, and otherwise, thank you all for reading, reviewing, sharing and liking the links and asking questions of Tumblr. ^^ You all have a happy and save Halloween with hopefully lots of sweets (and look out for blue Flames wanting to steal your candy. Just ignore him. ;) )


	18. The Path to the Future – School Day Jitters Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids come home from their first day. Some need a nap, some need some cuddles and plans are made for the future.

 

 

 

The whole explanation of the workgroups was over rather quickly, luckily.

Sans felt tired, ready to go home and not do anything for a long while. One thing was definitely for sure: School was exhausting!

But also interesting.

There was indeed a science club that involved stars which he could join so he eagerly took the information papers and placed them very carefully inside his bag. He wanted to ask Swabby and Grillby later about all of this, but for now they had to head home.

 

The other children around him were already getting up and moving around when he felt a small weight settle against him. He glanced to his side and saw Parz, looking utterly exhausted, leaning against him with heavy eyes. He looked as tired as Saz on most days…

Sans put an arm around his younger brother as he watched over the others.

Suny was talking excitedly to a nearby kid whom Sans guessed was from one of his classes while Papyrus looked over several different club papers deep in thought.

Pyru and Saz, however, both had eyes on him and Parz, looking just as worried as Sans felt.

 

“I think we should go home,” mumbled Sans softly as the two approached them. “Hey, Parz, ready to go back to da- uh Grillby?”

 

“Yeah, he's waiting for us,” added Pyru. “You coming, bro?” he asked while gently wrapping an arm around Saz’ shoulders, supporting him as though he might fall over.

 

Parz just gave a little noise but did not move right away, looking almost apathetic to everything around him.

 

“I think Parz is ready for home,” decided Sans, feeling quite sorry for his brother. He helped him up and out of his chair, unease sprouting in his soul when Parz did not even try to fight him off. He knew that his little brother was most likely tired but seeing him not responding like this brought back dark memories.

 

Memories from their run. From Pyru coming out of the door they just blasted open with two hurt bodies on his back, red magic seeping out from their wounds, barely awake and… and...

 

“Yeah, Parz looks really sleepy,” mumbled Papyrus, coming closer to help him by gathering Parz’ papers.

 

Sans nuzzled Parz gently. “Hey, bro?” he whispered to him. “We’re going home... You coming?”

 

“You need any help?” asked Pyru, looking down slightly at Sans.

 

Saz managed to pull away from Pyru with the small distraction and walked up to Suny, tapping him on the shoulder and interrupting his conversation with the other kids.

 

Suny turned to Saz, beaming at him before hugged him tightly. “ARE WE LEAVING ALREADY?!?”

 

Papyrus gave him a small nod, repeating what Pyru had said earlier, “Yeah, Grillby is waiting for us. Remember?”

 

Parz looked a bit more aware now but still held on to Sans' sleeve.

 

Sans gave him a soft pat. “Come, we are going home, bro,” Sans gently repeated. “Don't worry, we'll get you there.”

 

“Uh... Is he alright?” one of Suny's new friends questioned.

 

“He’s just tired, Whiskers,” chirped Suny smiling brightly. “Usually it's Saz who’s tired though,” he added in after thought before perking up once more. “See, that was the reason he was grumpy! He was just really tired.”

 

“Oh, alright,” mumbled Whiskers, nodding. “My little brother gets grumpy too when he’s sleepy.”

 

“Yeah,” giggled Suny. “Like that.”

 

Sans smiled at the exchange. Looks like Suny really did make some friends already. He pet Parz a last time, prompting him to follow him and motioned for his brothers once he noticed Suny saying good-bye to the small group of children surrounding him.

 

They made their way out together, Suny taking Saz' hand and Pyru leading Papyrus outside while Parz followed Sans like a little duckling, holding on to his sleeve the entire way.

 

When Sans saw the familiar glow of Grillby's flames outside he had to smile, feeling himself relax with the knowledge that they were safe and home was near. “Don't worry, we’re almost home.”

 

Grillby smiled when the children came out of the school, greeting them just like he had at lunch. He crouched down and opened his arms for Suny and Papyrus who greeted the flame by running up to him and jumping into his arms for a quick hug. “Hey,” chuckled Grillby. “Ready to go home now?”

 

“YEAH!” cheered Suny happily.

 

Papyrus nodded wholeheartedly.

Saz, who was pulled into the hug by Suny, nodded shyly.

Pyru, who was trailing behind Papyrus, waved happily before stuffing his hands back into his coat pockets.

 

“Yeah uh... Parz is also pretty tired,” muttered Sans who came up a bit slower than his siblings, still half carrying Parz with him, his brother’s hands gripping his sleeve like he usually only did with Fellby.

 

Grillby smiled a tiny bit at the picture. Parz looked so much younger like this...

Not for the first time Grillby wished he knew the true ages of his children... but he never found any clue on that in the journals, notebooks and other records he read from the lab. Not even Gaster himself shared this, too keen as he was on gloating about how he hurt the children.

In the end, it did not matter.

 

Grillby crouched down to look over Parz as Sans brought him closer, obviously guided by the warmth radiating from Grillby. “Hey, little one,” Grillby greeted softly. “Ready to go home?”

 

Parz just looked at him, blinking and making another tiny noise.

 

Grillby chuckled softly. “I see,” he whispered before leaning down and picking the little skeleton up, holding him close. “You did good, Parz,” he said. “Now let’s go home.”

 

Parz almost instantly wrapped his arms around Grillby's neck, laying his head against the flame’s shoulder.

Grillby felt himself smiling, holding the child a bit closer. At least Parz was finally warming up to him... Or perhaps it was an expression of just how exhausted the little skeleton was... Grillby hoped the first option was the correct one though it would be impossible to tell until later on. He heated himself up again, keeping the snow and coldness from his children once again as they started walking home.

The storm had let up a bit, finally, but it was nowhere near calm or at a level where Grillby felt comfortable with letting anybody alone outside be it the children, Swabby or even a blue flame like Fellby.

 

“IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!” shouted Suny full of excitement.

 

“They also gave us a lot of papers,” said Papyrus. “Some of them have pictures!”

 

“Yeah... lots of Paper...” mumbled Sans beside Grillby's left leg. “And they said we have to choose a group soon...”

 

“But there are so many options,” complained Papyrus. “How could anybody just choose?”

 

Grillby felt himself chuckling a bit at this. “Is that so?” he questioned. “Well, if you want, we can go through everything at home... and I think later you can join more than one group. But are there really that many to choose from?”

 

“YEAH!” exclaimed Papyrus. “THERE IS COOKING, GARDENING, MATH.”

 

“ARTS AND CRAFTS, SCIENCE, SOMETHING CALLED ANI-MOO,” added Suny with equal excitement.

 

“AND MANY, MANY MORE!”

 

“Ani-moo?” asked Grillby, frowning slightly. He honestly had no idea what Suny was even talking about.

 

“Yeah, it sounded really strange,” mumbled Pyru. “Something about giant... um somethings?” He was silent for a moment, obviously thinking through what was said to him. “...It sounded really, REALLY strange.”

 

Grillby looked at him before shaking his head slightly. “Well, at least there seems to be a lot of choices.”

 

“Yeah, we got a week to decide,” said Sans before yawning.

 

Grillby smiled at that. Looks like Parz was not the only one who was tired... In fact, he would not be surprised if all of them were tired and in need for some rest after their first day.

 

“Some of them sound strange,” Saz mumbled, yawning as he leaned against Grillby’s leg.

 

Grillby wanted to ask him if he would like to be carried again but a tug on his sleeve distracted him.

 

“How long is a week?” Papyrus inquired, looking at him with big eyes.

 

“A week is seven days,” Grillby answered, shifting Parz in his arms after the boy made a small sound, holding the skeleton closer to himself to keep him warm. “And two of these days are the weekend where you do not have school.”

 

“So... most of the week we're in school?” asked Papyrus.

 

“But... what about you and Swabby?” Suny questioned, wide eyes looking up to the flame. “...and Uncle Fellby?”

 

“Well, I have work... One of us will always bring you to school thought and you will eat lunch at the bar,” Grillby reminded them. “Don't worry. We are here as soon as you need us.”

 

“Won't you get lonely?” asked Sans quietly.

 

Something inside Grillby melted again. He barely resisted the urge to hug Sans here on the spot. “Don't worry about us.”

 

“But Uncle Swabby will be home all alone,” mumbled Suny. “And being alone is lonely and sad!”

 

Grillby hesitated. He knew the truth in Suny’s words. If there was one thing he knew, it was loneliness… be it self-imposed or otherwise.

 

No child should even know what it felt like...

 

“Well, he can come to the bar too, can’t he?” he heard himself saying. “Besides, I think he’d find ways to entertain himself.”

 

After all, Swabby was an adult. More than capable of doing his own thing... Stars, maybe he even wished for some time to himself to care for his own life once again. Grillby did, after all, pull him out of his usual life, even if Swabby insisted he came gladly…

 

“When Fellby is back, they won't be alone,” muttered Parz quietly against Grillby's shoulder.

 

“They can do something together,” added Saz, nodding.

 

Grillby half worried for the state of his house if he were to leave the two of them utterly alone.

 

“I don't think Uncle Fellby likes doing a lot of things that Uncle Swabby like,” mumbled Suny.

 

“Well,” Pyru spoke up sounding unsure. “Maybe they can find something they both like?”

 

“Maybe we should give them the club papers too,” mumbled Sans. “Some of them sound like they would like it.”

 

The mental image of Swabby and Fellby attending to school clubs together entertained Grillby. The teacher wouldn't know what hit them. “We will find a solution,” he said chuckling.

 

“Hmmm we'll have to figure out something they both like!” decided Papyrus.

 

“We can ask Swabby today what he likes and Fellby when he comes back,” offered Pyru.

 

“I know something,” said Suny, nodding. “Swabby likes cooking and Fellby likes eating his cooking.”

 

Grillby actually laughed a bit at that. “True, my child,” he agreed. “But we have to see if this really would work out...”

 

“I hope he comes back soon,” mumbled Saz.

 

“Uh... I think the storm got a bit better already,” spoke Sans hopefully. “Maybe he will be?”

 

“Of course he will,” Papyrus declared, nodding to himself. “Uncle Fellby promised!”

 

“I am sure he comes as soon as the weather is better,” remarked Grillby gently. “He did promise you, after all.”

 

“Yeah,” Pyru mumbled. “He doesn't like making promises...”

 

“But he kept all he made,” informed Sans.

 

“ _We will ALWAYS be friends, Grills! I promise!”_

 

Grillby glanced over the children as they walked the last few steps to their home, getting inside and out of the cold. He was surprised by the energy Papyrus and Suny still had as they cheered and called out that they were home loudly as soon as they entered the wind-still warmth of their home.

 

Swabby looked out of the living room, smiling widely before being tackled by two very excited and happy bone-puppies. He caught them while laughing, hugging them while the half-shifted Papyrus and Suny clung to him. “Hey,” giggled Swabby. “Back, huh?”

 

“Uncle Swabby!” cheered Pyru too after getting out of his boots, coming over to hug Swabby once the yellow flame was sitting up with Suny and Papyrus still in his arms.

 

“IT WAS SUPER FUN!!” exclaimed Suny as soon as he shifted back, a little tail remaining in his excited state, wriggling too fast to be seen properly.

 

“WE PLAYED AND DREW PICTURES!!” shouted Papyrus too. “AND IT WAS THE BEST!”

 

“You did?” chuckled Swabby, still a bit dazed.

 

Sans came over too flopping down beside him. “Yeah, it was cool.”

 

“Well, I am glad you had so much fun,” Swabby replied before he looking up to Grillby, Saz and Parz. “Aww... Somebody exhausted?”

 

“Looks like it, huh?” mumbled Grillby, shifting Parz in his arms again. “I think they powered themselves out in school...”

 

Swabby just smiled, as if he expected this outcome. “Give him to me... I get him to bed, aright?” he spoke gently.

 

“But it's still day...” protested Papyrus with a slight pout.

 

Swabby stood and took Parz carefully from Grillby, shifting him within his arms. “I know... but I think Parz needs a nice nap,” he replied softly. “We talked about some of you having to refuel more often than others, did we?”

 

“...yeah, we did, Uncle Swabby,” Papyrus muttered. “But still! He is wasting all of the day!”

 

“There is still enough day left,” chuckled Swabby, petting over Parz’ back. “I'll get you to bed,” he told him, earning himself a tiny noise from the skeleton in question.

 

“Can um…” muttered Saz quietly, coming over to Swabby. “Can I have a nap too?”

 

“Huh? Of course,” Swabby replied. He put a hand on Saz' shoulder, ready to lead him upstairs when something stopped him in his tracks.

 

Parz still held on tightly to Grillby's shirt.

 

Both Grillby and Swabby looked for a moment at the child, before chuckling softly to themselves.

 

“Looks like somebody doesn't want to let go,” chuckled Grillby, gently testing Parz’ hand.

 

It held strongly to the flame’s shirt, tangled a bit in the soft fabric.

 

Swabby came a bit closer to him, his yellow flames flickering gently indicating his amusement. “Well,” he spoke up while handing Parz back to Grillby. “Then we both get them to bed.” He smiled before leaning down quickly to snatch up Saz, cuddling the little skeleton to himself.

 

Saz made a slight startled noise before settling down and cuddling into him, small hands closing around Swabby's shoulder.

 

“Right,” Grillby agreed, holding on a bit more to Parz who just buried his head against his neck, making a little sound of content. He had to admit, it filled him with pride that Parz seemed to finally trust him like this. Usually, even in his tired state, he would prefer Fellby or, when his cousin was not there, Swabby over him in every way.

 

After confirming to the other children they will be back and overhearing Pyru and Papyrus plans on drawing everything that happened today for Swabby to look at later, they made their way up the stairs with little voices following their climb, talking about colors and whether or not Fluffy Bunny went to school.

 

Grillby opened the door to the children's room, walking to the bed with Swabby following after him picking up some of the soft blankets that fell off from the bed. Together, they made a little nest out of soft material for the children before Grillby placed Parz down, sitting beside him and petting over his skull gently. “Hey,” he whispered.

 

Swabby sat down beside him with Saz still in his arms.

 

“Are you okay, little one?” Grillby questioned.

 

Parz looked at the flames tiredly, blinking slowly, his eyes not really focused on either of them.

 

Grillby laid a hand on the boy’s head, smiling a bit when he felt Parz lean into the heat. “You can rest,” he whispered to his child. “I'll keep you all safe. Promise.”

 

At first nothing happened. But then, slowly, Parz began to relax, his little eyes dropping and the grip of his hand slowly easing off too, only the tips of his claw-like fingers now tangled within the fabric.

Grillby looked over to Swabby who was gently petting and cooing something to Saz before concentrating on untangling Parz' little hand, holding it for a moment in his.

So small...

His children were much healthier now, eating and sleeping good, going to school… Papyrus and Parz seemed to start growing for real now but they were still so tiny… Off-white bones held together by magic. He could see strange markings carved into the surface of Parz’ hand, markings he knew from tapes and written words were made by Gaster himself.

Too much pain and hurt, things a child like Parz and the others should never have had to experience.

Grillby put the little hand down and fetched a soft blanket, tucking Parz in gently. He looked up to see Swabby doing the same with Saz who was already out cold.

 

“Is he asleep?” whispered Swabby, looking down at Parz.

 

“Yeah, finally,” Grillby answered softly. “They both were really exhausted today...”

 

“I can imagine.”

 

They watched as Saz cuddled up to Parz in his sleep, Parz making a little whine sound at first before turning around and hugging his brother’s midsection in his sleep.

Saz settling down completely, looking rather peaceful once his brother was cuddled to himself.

 

“How was today?”

 

“Eventful,” Grillby replied, eyes still focused on the children. “...Something is wrong with Parz... Perhaps he just misses Fellby but... I don't know.”

 

“Was he acting strange?”

 

“A bit... The usual moody behavior but... usually he does not cling to me like this. He even allowed me to carry him and, well, you noticed how he practically slept in my arms,” Grillby explained, looking worried.

 

“Maybe he just starts trusting you?” chuckled Swabby. “It sure took some time, huh?”

 

“Maybe,” sighed Grillby, hoping that Swabby was right and he was just overthinking things. “We managed to call Fellby during lunch.”

 

“Oh?” Swabby glanced to the taller monster. “And what is he up to?”  


“Judging from what we could hear through the phone... a lot of trouble,” sighed Grillby before letting out a small chuckle. “I have the feeling I’ll have to talk to some guards again.”

 

Swabby laughed at that, leaning a bit against Grillby as they watched the children in silence. “Well, at least your day wasn't boring,” Swabby replied, an edge to his voice that brought a small amount of guilt back to Grillby.

 

“I am sorry if you felt... stuck here,” Grillby whispered softly, looking to Swabby.

 

Understanding slowly seeped over the confusion. “Oh no, Grillby,” he replied quickly. “Don't misunderstand me. I love being here,” Swabby assured. “It hasn't anything to do with this morning... You were right by the way. It was really dangerous for me out there and going out even with protection would have been stupid. I just... didn't want to admit it,” he explained softly, shaking his head. “I will just miss a bit... having them for myself, you know?”

 

It rang just all too true for Grillby. He felt himself smiling, feeling better that he was not the only one with such selfish thoughts. “I understand.”

 

There was a stretch of comfortable silence.

They just sat there, looking at the two children sleeping.

Grillby deep in his own thoughts.

 

“You really are in a mood today too, huh?” Swabby asked after a moments pause, placing his hand on Grillby's shoulder. “Everything alright?”

 

“Yes just...thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“The day, the future... Parz,” admitted Grillby. “...Saz carried his books and he... well...” He looked at Parz when he moved around in his sleep, a tiny noise escaping him as little hands twitched a bit.

 

“Sounds like Parz is still in pain?” mumbled Swabby.

 

“I don't know... He didn't want to go to school after lunch and had Saz carry his books,” he sighed out. “Something is wrong but I am unsure as to what.”

 

“You want to call Asklepios?” Swabby asked.

 

Grillby considered it.

Asklepios was a stable guest in their home for roughly a year now, being a healer that actually had experience with skeletons and long-time confidant of Swabby.

Honestly, Grillby was hesitant to bring the healer into his house first but Swabby vouched for him. And the trust he put into the monster payed of, luckily.

Besides, the children all liked him.

“Maybe,” he answered finally.

 

Silence settled once more over them, only interrupted when the children moved within their sleep.

 

“We should let them sleep,” spoke Swabby softly.

 

Grillby only now noticed that the yellow flame’s hand was still on his shoulder. He nodded, turning back towards the children in order to tuck them in properly, pressing a soft kiss to their little skulls before standing up with Swabby. “Let's go downstairs then.”

Together they left the room, leaving the door cracked a tiny bit to allow some light to seep in, making their way downstairs.

 

Once they reentered the living room, they saw a multitude of paper covered with colorful pictures and a pouting Sans who was leaning against Pyru as Papyrus and Suny giggled merrily. As soon as they noticed the flame elementals, however, all of them were up and running to them.

Pyru curled up in Swabby's lap as soon as he sat down on the couch, earning himself a chuckled from Swabby.

 

“Missed us already?” the yellow flame asked softly.

 

Grillby sat down beside him, the other children coming closer as well.

Papyrus and Suny, with the help of Sans' magic, managed to climb onto the couch, squeezing their way between the two flame elementals.

 

“Are Parz and Saz sleeping?”

 

“Yes they are,” Grillby answered, petting over Sans’ skull. “Did you notice something unusual with them?” he asked after a short pause, earning the attention of all of his children.

 

“Unusual?” questioned Sans, perking up from his position to look at Grillby, worry written all over his face.

 

Grillby instantly regretted asking.

 

Swabby, on the other hand, nodded beside him. “Yes... Something that wasn't right?”

 

“Well,” begun Papyrus, looking a bit sheepish. “I don't think Parz likes the other kids at school.”

 

“Yeah, he even growled at one of them,” mumbled Suny. “But... but that was only him being grumpy...”

 

“Growling, huh?” Grillby had hoped that it would not come to that but he knew it was bound to happen.

 

“Yeah,” sighed Pyru. “And he complained that things are too loud...”

 

“So... His usual problem, huh?” mumbled Swabby with a small frown.

 

“Is... there anything we can do to somehow help?” asked Sans.

 

Grillby honestly wished he knew the answer to that.

 

“Also, someone said Saz fell asleep in one of his classes so I had to go wake him up,” Papyrus cut in. “The teacher told him not to sleep in class any more... I think it made him sad.”

 

Grillby frowned a bit more. “He didn’t tell me that…”

 

“He didn't want to tell,” mumbled Papyrus. “It was in the reading class we had together.”

 

“Saz falls asleep a lot,” Pyru muttered. “He’s tired a lot too… even more than me and Sans.”

 

“I'll talk with him later,” informed Swabby gently. “He should tell someone if he gets this tired...”

 

Grillby nodded in agreement. “He and Parz both seemed... really exhausted today in general.”

 

“Parz stopped doing the signs in class too,” Sans tattled.

 

“Yeah, he only got to G,” chipped in Suny. “He was really slow before that.”

 

The other children all mumbled agreement to what was being said, having seen how Parz and later Saz as well quit signing with the rest of their class and how their brothers were quickly exhausted from the school day.

 

“Alright,” Swabby sighed. “I'll talk with both of them... School should be something nice for you all... not something bad...”

 

“I don't think Parz likes school,” frowned Suny.

 

“Though Saz seemed to have fun,” Papyrus informed, smiling. “He seemed to like the reading class with me.”

 

“And there was a drake kid that told me he seemed to have fun in history,” added Sans. “He even seemed more awake when he came from that class.”

 

“That’s good,” Grillby replied with a small smile.

 

“Maybe you should talk to the teachers too?” mused Swabby.

 

“They know about... some stuff already,” Grillby replied, remembering the hours he had spent sitting together with the teachers going over the gist of what had happened to the children and how they should be treated in case of a relapse. “But yeah... maybe they noticed something.”

 

“Well, if they know about things then they might look out for signs of discomfort too,” spoke Swabby.

 

Papyrus pouted a bit. “We could look out for them too! But we're all in different classes...”

 

“Well,” chuckled Swabby, petting over Papyrus’ skull. “The idea is that you do some things on your own,” he explained. “You are all your own persons, after all, and you all like different things. You are allowed to enjoy life like this.”

 

There was some silence while the children processed the information.

 

“But,” mumbled Papyrus, “we've never been apart before...”

 

“I know,” Grillby replied. “This is not to separate you but to have you each grow more confident in yourselves and thrive in what you enjoy. Sans likes science whereas Pyru likes music for example,” he explained. “No matter what you do, though... you will always have this family. You will always have us behind you.”

 

“Yeah,” agreed Swabby. “Family sticks together, remember?”

 

Suny giggled at that.

Pyru curled more into Swabby's flames, nuzzling against him.

Sans leaned closer to Grillby before pulling Suny into his lap, wrapping his arms around his littlest brother.

 

“But it's still a bit scary,” Papyrus muttered after a moment.

 

“But everyone there is really nice!” Suny replied, smiling brightly.

 

“Hey, I know it's scary,” Swabby soothed, petting over Papyrus again. “New things are always a bit scary…”

 

“But nothing there can hurt you,” assured Grillby, nuzzling Sans and Suny who were still cuddled to him. “I promised to keep you safe, remember?”

 

“And we will always be here for you,” Swabby added.

 

“You made the bad guy go away so everything is okay,” Papyrus mumbled out, turning to Grillby.

 

Something deep in Grillby resonated, like a chord being struck.

These were his children and he would protect them. No one would ever lay a hand on them.

Grillby could feel the magic humming inside himself, alongside his LOVE and love, just like the moment he first lay eyes on them in the snow.

This was HIS family!

 

“Yeah,” Grillby muttered a bit lost in his own thoughts, hugging Papyrus to himself and nuzzling his tiny skull, feeling the echo of magic in within the bones. It was proof that the children were still here and alive and well, better than before. “I did, huh?”

 

Papyrus, Sans and Suny cuddled into Grillby’s hug, into his steady glowing flames. They were so trusting and without hesitation that this alone almost broke Grillby’s heart all over again.

 

“He won't come back?” asked Sans very, very quietly.

 

“No. Never,” Grillby heard himself answering. “You are safe.”

 

Sans did not reply anything but Grillby understood. That and the way Sans held onto him just a bit more was telling enough.

His LOVE and love and magic all settled down inside him, content.

 

Pyru giggled out as he was hugged and nuzzled by Swabby, happy yellow flames dancing in excitement.

There was still something missing…

Parz and Saz.

Fellby…

But they would join them again in a matter of time.

 

“You know, I'm sure Parz will like school soon,” Papyrus said after a few seconds of just holding on to his family. “He must just be scared.”

 

“Scared?” asked Grillby, looking down to him.

 

“Yes... because it's new and there are a lot of people there.”

 

“He can't live alone forever,” Grillby replied gently.

 

He tried once but loneliness was a pain far worse than any other. So he allowed himself his friendship with Swabby, the comfort of being casual friends with his regulars… their children and their children's children as time passed. Always different but in some way the same.

There were always dogs in Snowdin and Grillby rather liked the lot of them. He remembered Doggo's grandfather and the parents of Dogaressa and Dogamy... He wished they could see how much their children loved each other now.

 

“Maybe he just needs a friend,” offered Sans.

 

“Parz doesn't seem to like a lot of things,” mumbled Pyru. “I think that is kinda the problem.”

 

Swabby thought on this a moment. “There has to be something he would enjoy… He just doesn't know it yet. I’ll find a way of showing him, don’t you worry.”

 

“You are the best,” proclaimed Pyru, cuddling somewhat into Swabby’s sweater.

 

“Parz likes Uncle Fellby,” chirped Suny happily.

 

“Well, that’s one thing,” chuckled Swabby. “There will be more, I’m sure.”

 

“OH! WE CALLED UNCLE FELLBY DURING OUR LUNCH BREAK,” chipped in Papyrus happily, obviously just now remembering.

 

“Oh, really?” asked Swabby as if he had not heard about this already from Grillby.

 

“Yeah... he'll come home soon... When the weather gets better,” mumbled Pyru. “He promised Parz.”

 

“Well, then he has no choice, huh?” replied Swabby.

 

“YEAH,” cheered Papyrus. “AND WHEN HE GETS HERE, WE CAN TELL HIM ALL ABOUT SCHOOL!”

 

“He better come home soon,” Pyru muttered.

 

“He will,” replied Swabby. “He promised, after all.”

 

“We told him you'll make a pie,” added Sans.

 

“Apple cinnamon,” stated Grillby with a small chuckle prompting Swabby to laugh out, his yellow flames dancing with amusement and joy.

 

“Can do,” he giggled.

 

“UNCLE FELLBY WILL TRY AND EAT IT ALL,” giggled Suny.

 

“Then I better make two pies then, huh?” Swabby continued. “Just in case Fellby tries to eat it all?”

 

“He is a bit ridiculous like that,” chuckled Grillby softly.

 

“What if he tries to eat them both?” asked Papyrus.

 

“Well, that would be a LOT pie,” answered Swabby. “Even for Fellby,” he added in afterthought.

 

“Or we'll hide one pie,” commented Sans.

 

“WE CAN PUT IT UNDER THE TABLE,” chirped Suny. “HE’LL NEVER LOOK THERE!”

 

“But it will get all dirty there,” muttered Sans.

 

“I can put it on one of the top shelves,” offered Grillby.

 

“NO GOOD,” interrupted Papyrus. “UNCLE FELLBY IS TALL!”

 

“Grillby is taller,” Pyru pointed out.

 

“But not enough,” mumbled Sans.

 

Grillby chuckled slightly at the debate. Apparently being half a head taller than his cousin wasn't good enough to save a pie from him.

 

“We need something better!” proclaimed Sans.

 

“Yeah, Uncle Fellby is almost the same height if he steps on his tippy toes,” mumbled Suny.

 

“And Uncle Swabby is too short,” stated Sans. “So he wouldn't be able to reach the pie.”

 

Swabby blinked and huffed beside Grillby. “I am not,” he mumbled.

Pyru and Sans just giggled at him.

Even Grillby felt himself chuckling. “Well, you are... a bit smaller,” he said smiling, earning another huff from the shorter monster.

 

“But you are smaller than Grillby,” informed Suny, looking up to Swabby.

 

“AND smaller than Fellby,” stated Sans.

 

“Almost a head,” added Pyru giggling.

 

Swabby huffed again before looking down to Pyru, a sadistic grin forming on his face. “So, I am, huh?” he questioned, beginning to tickle Pyru mercilessly, holding him with one arm while the skeleton squirmed and laughed in his lap. “Am I still short, huh?”

 

“No, no, NO!” Pyru shrieked, breathing heavily with laughter.

 

Swabby stopped his assault, just holding him and gently nuzzled his skull.

 

“It is okay being small, Uncle Swabby,” Papyrus said finally. “Because you are really bright.”

 

“Huh?” Swabby blinked, looking to Papyrus confused.

 

Grillby leaned back a bit, feeling himself smile.

 

“Yeah... it's the best,” wheezed Pyru. “Bright and… yellow… and perfect.”

 

Swabby blinked at that before smiling, feeling a bit more relaxed as he held onto to Pyru. “I am, huh?”

 

“YEAH,” agreed Suny, throwing his hands in the air. “BRIGHT AND FRIENDLY!”

 

Sans tilted his head back, barely dodging Suny’s arm as the small skeleton waved them around excitedly. “Careful there, little bro.”

 

Swabby kept hold on Pyru, chuckling a bit with an edge to his voice Grillby only ever heard a few times in the past.

Grillby felt himself reaching out to his cousin, placing his hand on his shoulder yet not knowing what to say or even how to communicate the strange feeling he got whenever he experienced this… He just hoped that Swabby would understand.

Swabby leaned to him a bit, not speaking but not asking for clarification.

 

“But it's kinda sad that Saz and Parz can't get hugs right now too,” mumbled Papyrus after a moment.

 

“Welp, that means we’ll all have to give them a hug later,” concluded Sans.

 

Grillby chuckled at that. “We will,” he replied. “When they wake...”

 

“So, you wanted to tell me what you did today in school?” asked Swabby, changing the topic.

 

That at least caused the children to perk up. Stories and tales beginning to come at him like a float.

At one point, Suny even jumped down to gather all of their pictures and returned to his lap, now with visual aids for all of their stories.

From there, things drifted, each of the children having questions about one thing or another as well as telling about things they heard from their teachers and other students alike. There were also demonstrations of the signing they could now do.

Grillby showed them each how to sign his own and Swabby's name.

 

“SIGNING IS FUN,” giggled Suny after he successfully mastered both names.

 

“That's good if you get it easily,” said Grillby softly. “Signing is very important to know.”

 

“Well, we've seen you do it for a while now,” mumbled Papyrus.

 

Grillby's smile begun to get a tiny bit strained. “Yes... you did, huh?”

 

Sans hugged Grillby. “It's funny when you talk for a day in hands.”

 

“Well, there are also a lot of monster who only speak in hands,” intervened Swabby softly, petting Pyru in his lap.

 

“Why?” asked Suny.

 

“Well, some monster just can't speak or hear really well. There are also monster who CAN speak but doing so hurts them... for some it's just easier to sign,” explained Swabby.

 

“So.... there ARE other languages than... ‘monster common’?” asked Pyru.

 

“Oh, yes,” replied Swabby gently. “But, well, usually only so many monster speak them. Monster common is just the language most of us can speak.”

 

“But... why would speaking hurt?” asked Papyrus concerned. “You said speaking can hurt a monster?”

 

“Well...” mumbled Swabby.

 

Grillby took it from there. “Some monsters are not made to speak,” he explained. “I knew a monster once with a very unique skull shape... the mouth was mostly fused together and they couldn't move their jaw very well. It was so much easier for them and less painful to sign.”

 

“Oh,” mumbled Sans. “That makes sense I guess…”

 

“Can signing hurt?” asked Pyru after a moment of silence.

 

Grillby looked at him as did the others.

There was a tense silence for a moment.  


“Why do you ask?” Swabby requested finally.

  
“Just... uhm... if speaking can hurt, can signing too?”

 

Grillby and Swabby exchanged looks.

Something nagged in the back of Grillby's mind. “Well,” he finally begun. “I suppose it could? I remember some fish-monster having troubles with signing because their hands are not made for so many movements... so, I guess it could…”

 

Pyru just nodded, frowned and nuzzled deeper into Swabby, obviously deep in thought.

 

“You know a lot about monsters,” Sans spoke out, looking up to Grillby.

 

“Oh, well I have been around for a while,” chuckled Grillby, thankful for the change of topic. “And I lived in many different places of the Underground... Hotland, Home-”

 

“Home?” questioned Suny, looking rather confused. “Isn’t that where we are now?”

 

“Oh no, not at all. Home was the first settlement of monsters under the mountain,” explained Grillby. “It's known today as the Ruins but sadly it is sealed off now through a door.”

 

“Oh,” Suny mumbled. “So we can't go there?”

 

“Sadly, no,” answered Grillby. “The door is closed, never to be opened again.”

 

“What about Hotland then?” asked Papyrus. “How is it there?”

 

“Well, I lived there most of my life,” chuckled Swabby. “It's mostly hot and pretty much all other flame elementals live there, together with some other monsters who like the heat such as more reptilian based monsters, tsundereplanes, other fire based monsters and so on... New Home is located there too though in a much cooler region.”

 

“That reminds me, Uncle Swabby can we go see your work?” asked Suny.

 

“My work?”

 

“Ah, they asked to see where you work in Hotland earlier,” explained Grillby with a chuckle.

 

“Yeah!” chirped Suny.

 

“Oh, you mean my diner?” asked Swabby, understanding forming in his eyes. “Well, you can... but we have to plan the trip there.” He chuckled a bit before sobering up. “But... it's not really that interesting. After all, it’s only a diner… you know?”

 

Papyrus was having none of that. “But we've seen Grillby's work today and we'll go there after school...”

 

“For lunch!” corrected Suny.

 

“For lunch,” nodded Papyrus. “Every day! We never got to see your work and... and you're always leaving to work!”

 

He was backed up by Sans and Pyru who nodded seriously at the statement.

Grillby saw Swabby struggling with his words.

 

“I…” the yellow flame finally managed before making a strange sound and hugging both Papyrus and Suny to himself, crushing Pyru between them.

 

The children, however, did not seem to mind, chuckling and giggling as they returned the hug.

 

“I bet you have a cool work,” mumbled Sans.

 

Swabby answered with a chuckle. “Maybe... Well... we can plan a trip... It will take some time though...”

 

“After the storm?” asked Suny.

 

“Will Uncle Fellby come with us?” asked Papyrus.

 

“Uh... we can ask him?” muttered Swabby a bit unsure.

 

“We could,” replied Grillby a little stronger than Swabby had answered. “And yes we would go after the storm but we have to be careful... the blizzard season starts soon,” he added thoughtfully, trying to figure when exactly the really bad weather would hit Snowdin.

 

Swabby nodded beside him, a frown appearing on his face. “Yeah... I don't want to get stuck outside of Snowdin because of the cold...”

 

Grillby, himself, was worried about the well-being of his friend. Even with the isolation of his house, during the really cold days it would still get cold inside while he was not around… Living alone Grillby never had a problem with that but now he had to consider his family.

He had brought an additional heater for the children's room and last blizzard season it was, fortunately, not as bad as per usual, therefore that and a fire going within the fireplace located in the living room was enough to keep the house a comfortable temperature.  
But Swabby and Fellby both were away for the two weeks it lasted the previous year…

 

“What happens if we're away in blizzard season?” asked Suny.

 

“Well... you guys could get sick in the cold,” answered Swabby with a tiny tremble of being unsure about that in his voice.

 

Grillby could understand. They still were unsure if skeletons could even catch a cold after all.

 

“And... well... I couldn't return to Snowdin for as long as the blizzard season last.”

 

“What, really?” asked Sans.

 

“Why?” Pyru questioned.

 

Swabby gave his answer with a hallow smile. “The cold would... really, really hurt me...”

 

Pyru and Suny both blinked up at the yellow flame elemental before they holding onto him a bit tighter.

 

“Is that why you were gone for so long last year?” asked Papyrus with a frown.

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Swabby. “I... got stuck in Hotland and couldn't return...”

 

“I could have brought you in, Swabby,” Grillby replied. He could keep Swabby just as warm as the kids with his flames, even if there was still a risk when it got too cold.

 

Swabby blinked at that. “I...” he begun before sighing. “I know. I… didn't want to be a bother, Grillby...”

 

“You never are,” Grillby stated sternly, turning to him. “You are my friend, Swabby. Not a bother.” On the inside, Grillby sighed deeply.  
Even with Gaster's fall several weeks earlier, the things that happened were still haunting them all. One of the consequences was Swabby's shaken up state... At least he had assured Grillby that he was talking to Asklepios and adapted his medication due to everything... but Grillby could see that he was still a bit off from his usual state of mind.

 

“Uncle Fellby doesn't like the small storms so he would be stuck too then huh?” asked Papyrus.

 

“I…” Grillby shook his head lightly, petting over Papyrus’ back. “Yes, I suppose he would be.”

 

“He was away last year too?” questioned Swabby, looking to the flame.

 

Grillby nodded.

 

“Please stay with us, Uncle Swabby,” pleaded Pyru. “It was really long last time.”

 

Swabby hesitated for a moment and Grillby knew why. Swabby still had a life in Hotland… he had a restaurant and surely he also had friends waiting for him there.

 

“I'll try,” Swabby finally replied, hugging Pyru again. “If you really want?”

 

“YES!”

 

He chuckled again. “Alright... I... I’ll do my best,” Swabby promised.

 

There was cheering coming from the children.

Grillby found himself smiling brightly too. Spending the blizzard season not alone sounded pretty nice.

 

“Why does Uncle Fellby go away all the time though?” mumbled Suny, pouting a bit. “It’s great here!”

 

“Well...” Grillby hesitated. “I'm sure he has reasons...”

 

“Yeah,” chuckled Swabby. “He is pretty silly sometimes.”

 

“Saz and Parz love him,” mumbled Sans. “Even when he is being silly.”

 

“He is difficult,” mused Grillby, petting over his children. “But he said he… has things which require him to be in Hotland for.”

 

Suny perked up at this “Is it his work too?”

 

Grillby and Swabby looked at one other, neither really knowing what to say.

 

“We should ask him if we can see it too,” Sans stated, giving a sharp nod as his mind was made on the matter. “I mean, we know where Grillby and Uncle Swabby work...”

 

“Maybe we'll visit Swabby first, huh?” Grillby replied nervously.

 

“So what does Uncle Fellby do?” inquired Papyrus.

 

“You know,” mumbled Swabby. “I am not really sure...”

 

“He... helps a friend of his with her business,” mumbled Grillby, remembering some snippets Fellby had mentioned in past conversations. “But I’m not really sure it’s a good idea...”

 

“Aww, he helps a friend?” asked Suny. “That sounds nice.”

 

“What does she do?” asked Papyrus.

 

“I don't really know myself,” Grillby replied. “Fellby never told me...”

 

“WE SHOULD ASK HIM WHEN HE GETS BACK!” declared Suny.

 

Grillby chuckled at that. “You can but let us talk to him first, okay?”

 

“Hm?” Papyrus tilted his head back to look at Grillby. “Uh okay.”

 

“We do have a lot to talk about with him too,” chuckled Swabby.

 

“But you can ask him all the same,” assured Grillby.

 

“You know Fellby thought,” muttered Swabby. “He doesn't answer questions very well.”

 

“Yeah,” agreed Sans. “He always avoids questions. Or rather answering the questions… I don’t think he hears them.”

 

“Sometimes he just says something completely different and makes you forget what you asked!” added Papyrus.

 

“Yeah,” chuckled Swabby. “It's very confusing, huh?”

 

“So... you wanna make sure he answers questions?” asked Swabby deviously.

 

“How do you do that?” asked Papyrus, puzzled.

 

Swabby grinned at that, a cat-like grin that Grillby knew all too well… it shouldn't make him happy seeing this particular grin just now but with Swabby's mood the last few weeks, Grillby took it as a sight that everything really was going to be okay.

 

“Oh, I got SOME ideas,” Swabby replied with a giggle. “But we will see if they work.”

 

Grillby wondered for a moment what kind of blackmail Swabby had in mind. He kind of wished he would share more of his stash… most of the pictures he saw were really hilarious.

 

“Hmmm... maybe we have to tickle him until he answers,” Suny mused.

 

“Is Uncle Fellby even ticklish?” asked Papyrus.

 

“Yeah,” answered Pyru grinning. “He is.”

 

“Don't you remember, Papyrus?” asked Sans with a giggle. “When... uh...we were sleeping on the couch with him... He was super ticklish!”

 

Papyrus blinked at him.

Grillby wondered if the boy really had forgotten whatever it was Sans was speaking of.

 

“Aw, don't you remember... uhm...” mumbled Sans, trying to find words to remind Papyrus of the instance. “The night after... uhm...”

 

“After it got really loud and scary?” offered Pyru.

 

It clicked with Grillby and Swabby.

The bad evening.

The day when Grillby and Fellby were at the lab…

The day Grillby and Fellby had a rather undignified meltdown and shouting match in the kitchen.

 

The day Grillby finally found out, after all these years, what had happened to his cousin and dear childhood friend. He still felt guilty for... well, not knowing, never reaching out sooner. For being too far gone in his own problems and then being too cowardly to reach out to anyone after that… For letting Fellby fade from his mind in favor of his new life and automatically believing what little he heard from guards of Hotland that Fellby was just causing trouble and never worrying, believing that his cousin would reach out when he really needed him…

He didn't know if it would have changed things. He did not know if he would have been able to help him, but still... especially after what happened with Gaster, he couldn’t help but to wonder if things would have been different…

Things would have been best, of course, if he had found Fellby before the humans could hurt him. But there was no sense in playing the what-if game now. What happened happened and now he had to live with the consequences.

 

“OH!!” exclaimed Suny suddenly, leaning over and whispering something to Papyrus, whose eyes suddenly widen with realization.

 

“OH! YEAH!” he exclaimed, earning a giggle from Sans.

 

“You remember now bro?”

 

“Saz even rescued Sans, I think,” mumbled Pyru, remembering the whole thing with a big smile.

 

Even Grillby and Swabby had to smile, remembering the assault the children started on the blue flame.

 

“Yeah I remember now!” chirped Papyrus happily. “Uncle Fellby was super ticklish at his belly!”

 

“Right!” cheered Pyru, giggling. “So... we all need to attack at once if we want to tickle the answers out of him.”

 

“Hmm,” hummed Suny, looking a bit skeptic. “I don't think Saz or Parz will help though...”

 

“We have to give them a good reason,” Sans stated.

 

“Do you think ‘we are getting answers from Fellby’ is good enough?” asked Pyru.

 

“…Maybe?”

 

Swabby chuckled at that, petting over Pyru and Sans both. “You are making plans already, huh?”

 

“I don't know,” mumbled Suny. “I think they'd turn on us if Uncle Fellby told them too…”

 

“Yeah,” agreed Papyrus. “Remember what happened last time when Uncle Fellby told them to grab you?”

 

Sans nodded slowly. “Yeah... But Saz also rescued me once...”

 

“They are a wild card,” stated Pyru. “We just have to convince them that it's better to help us... or at least to stay out of it.”

 

“That might be hard though,” mumbled Suny.

 

“How can we convince them?” asked Papyrus.

 

“I.... don't know,” admitted Sans slowly before sighing.

 

“Well, Fellby does play wrestling with them sometimes,” Pyru muttered. “We could tell them it's the next step in the game?”

 

“I don't wanna lie to them,” mumbled Sans.

 

“It's not lying if we ask Fellby if tickle fighting is the next step!”

 

The others looked at Pyru a bit skeptic.

 

“I don't know,” mumbled Papyrus finally. “But... I suppose it could work?”

 

“We’ll just have to ask them,” nodded Pyru.

 

“What do we do if Uncle Fellby doesn't give us an answer?” asked Sans.

 

“Well, you will see when he gets back, huh?” chuckled Grillby.

 

“We just have to ask him over and over and over again!” decided Suny.

 

“You think that would work?” asked Sans, turning to the small skeleton.

 

“It worked with Swabby,” proclaimed Pyru happily.

 

Grillby blinked at that. He did not remember such an instance…

Swabby glanced quickly away, blushing a light shade of green. “Don't ask.”

Despite this, Grillby felt a wave of fondness running though his soul.

 

The children squabbled some more, making plans and throwing them out just as fast. The idea of bribing Fellby with pie seemed to be the winner overall.

Grillby leaned back, letting the sound of the children wash over him while watching his friend smiling and chuckling at their antics. He was so glad he was here.

 

“But uh... how long do Saz and Parz need to take a nap?” asked Suny after a while, little voice dripping with concern as he looked towards the grandfather clock.

 

“We'll hear when they wake up,” answered Swabby softly, chuckling a bit. “Maybe we should let them sleep a bit more.”

 

“Saz sleeps a lot,” mumbled Sans. “I think he gets tired very easily too. More so than me and Pyru even...”

 

Pyru nodded at that. “Yeah,” he agreed. “And he falls asleep like all the time!”

 

“But if they sleep all day then they won't be tired by bed time!” Papyrus protested. “Then they can't get a good night sleep!”

 

“Well, I think at least half an hour is a good time,” rethought Swabby, petting over Papyrus’ and Suny’s skulls. “How about I go check on them in a few minutes… okay?”

 

That earned him a cheer from both Papyrus and Suny before they decided that they could start setting everything up for their brothers so they could start the fun part as soon as the two woke.

Grillby chuckled a bit at their enthusiasm.

 

Saz and Parz were lucky to have such caring siblings.

 

It wasn't long after that that Swabby announced that he would go look in on the children.

Grillby smiled, opting to watch after the remaining children while Swabby tended to the others. He watched Swabby leave the room before turning back to the children.

 

Suny and Papyrus were happily setting up a game while Sans and Pyru cheered them on, clearly too tired to join the younger two.

 

Grillby leaned back and let the sensation wash over him.

Here he was, sitting in his house, in his living room, watching his children play after a day at school…

Grillby had never expected to have children of his own.

Had never expected to ever have a family like this… never wanting to risk having somebody close to his soul, being terrified of hurting or losing them… be it to time, to humans or by other means.

 

But now, at this moment, he felt strangely content.

Happy.

And Warm.

 

How could he have missed out on this for so long..?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, look at that. A chapter so close after the other ones? :D Still no Fellby in this one. Crazy, I know. XD
> 
> Also: WE GOT ANOTHER FANFIC FOR THIS (You don't know how happy this makes us)  
> Mistakes were Made by Ama_Person (http://archiveofourown.org/works/8430601) which is heartbreaking. Thank you so much for this! ^^
> 
> We hope you had fun with this one too. ^^ Thank you all for Kudos and Comments (they warm our heart) and see you hopefully soon. ^^


	19. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby is a very troubled flame and his voice sometimes eludes him. Swabby and Fellby both got to know about his issues and problems each of them in their own time and way.

 

Swabby knew Grillby for a very long time. He knew the man most of his life… even if he only saw him just a few times before the skeletons came along.

He heard him speak even less before that.

Their friendship started with a hug and some gentle words, a letter and a hand given in a time where kind eyes and ears were all that was asked for.

 

Over the years, Swabby came to know a lot about Grillby.

He was full of guilt over having survived when others, dear friends, have died.

He was full of guilt over having had to kill.

And Swabby knew he was full of regret and guilt over things he would not even share with him.

Grillby’s mind was filled with trauma.

And his dreams were filled with horror.

 

Despite this, it was very rare to hear Grillby scream or shout at anything.

And despite everything, he never lashed out at Swabby or hurt him in any form, even if he feared he would do so.

Instead, Grillby would turn silent… inwards on himself.

 

Grillby and Fellby have a lot of things in common, thought Swabby as he made tea, the fresh smell of sea tea filling up the kitchen. Both of them tend to run away… but while Fellby preferred the physical running, Grillby did so mentally.

He could not begrudge him, though.

Grillby did not talk about the war much but from the tiny details he did know, there were enough horrors to drive even the sanest and strongest monster crazy.

It was no wonder that so many monster fell down shortly after the war.

 

He was better now, however. His flashbacks were coming less and less frequent and were not as severe as before. More often than not, Grillby was able to pull himself out of the memories by himself.

That did not mean that there weren't bad days from time to time.

 

Like today.

 

Fellby was on one of his trips to Hotland and the children were away at school so Swabby was rather surprised to see Grillby still in the house, sitting on the couch and looking shaken.

Silent.

An attempt to talk to him yielded no result other than a jerky nod.

 

So Swabby retreated to the kitchen and made him tea, just like in the past.

He brought the steaming cup over to Grillby, sitting beside him. He accepted the hug he got soon after that and hugged back with all his might.

It was telling how much progress Grillby made that he was willing to hug Swabby at all and Swabby, himself, was just glad his friend was willingly taking the offered comfort.

 

“Hey, Grillby,” mumbled Swabby. “Still feeling down?”

 

A nod.

 

“Want to do something?”

 

A shake of the head.

 

“You know you aren't there,” the yellow flame soothed. “You are at home. I'm here, the boys are at school and um…” He hesitated for a moment. “Fellby will be back tomorrow...”

 

Another nod, Grillby’s arms still wrapped tightly around the smaller flame.

 

“Hey... It's alright,” Swabby soothed again, gently patting his friend. It still felt so... weird sometimes.

 

This was Grillby, one of the strongest monsters in the Underground… Swabby had seen Grillby’s strength while fighting and outside of it… yet he was holding on to him like he was the only thing that was keeping him together.

 

“I'm still here, Grillby... Everybody is still here; they'll all be home later.”

 

Grillby nodded again but still did not let up.

 

“So... want to spend the day on the couch?”

 

Another nod.

 

“…How is your voice?”

 

Grillby lifted his head up a bit. A mouth opened, lava-like teeth parted and warm air reached Swabby... but no sound. Grillby looked down, shaking his head.

 

Swabby sighed deeply and pulled Grillby into another warm hug. “That bad, huh?” The last few times Grillby at least managed a whisper. He petted Grillby’s head a bit, even though the taller monster had to slide down the couch a bit for him to do so properly.

 

Swabby REALLY wished sometimes he was not so small compared to Grillby and Fellby. It would make comforting them a LOT easier.

 

Grillby nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

 

Swabby sighed deeply. This was really bad. “Hey... it's alright,” mumbled Swabby unsure of what exactly to do otherwise. “You are home... It's alright. Remember what you told me sometimes? All the gray and dust goes away in some time...”

 

No reaction.

 

“...Grillby, did you slept at all last night?”

 

A weak head shake.

 

“Do you want me to call Asklepios?” The healer was, after all, their family healer for years now and for Swabby even longer.

 

Not many monster healers had experience with mental health issues, even if the aftermath of the war made it necessary. Usually, if a monster lost hope or became depressed, that spelled a soon and very unfortunate end for them…

 

When Swabby was diagnosed with frequent depression episodes, together with his lower stats due to his yellow burning core, the healers gave him a few short months...

Asklepios was the only healer who even bothered trying to treat him. He just wouldn't give up on him. The healer talked with him when he was lonely, tried new magical treatments and encouraged him to continue the friendship via letter he had with Grillby.

Swabby had beaten the odds by centuries now.

So if there was one person who could help Grillby's state of mind, Swabby was sure it would be Asklepios.

 

Yet Grillby shook his head.

 

“No? Are you sure?”

 

A nod.

 

“Okay... but... if you change your mind, let me know.”

 

A nod again, arms holding him even tighter.

 

“It's alright... I won't go,” Swabby said gently. “You want me to read a book to you?”

 

Grillby shook his head.

 

“Uh... anything else? TV? Some music?”

 

Grillby shook his head again, lifting his head a bit to look at Swabby.

He looked so... tired. It was obvious sleep had not found him in the night.

Grillby lifted a hand and signed the words “tired”, “no sleep” and “nightmares”.

Swabby understood, even though it was a sad realization.

It was nothing new that severe nightmares made it impossible for Grillby to find rest, the sleeplessness worsening his mood the next day which only lead to more nightmares, flashbacks and visions the next nights. Either the flame elemental would fall asleep out of pure exhaustion or something worse…

Swabby just couldn't let his friend suffer like this!

 

If only Grillby could sleep…

 

There was an idea that came to him out of nowhere. Maybe it wouldn't work but it couldn’t hurt to try… right?

 

“Grillby?” he said to the flame, his voice even and gentle. “I have an idea... I... I need you to let me go just for a minute. I need to get something and I’ll come right back.”

 

Grillby looked unsettled by his words.

 

“I promise,” the yellow flame added. “I'll just run up and grab something from my room and be back before you know it.”

 

Grillby still did not look happy but released the smaller flame.

 

Swabby smiled at him. “Thank-you,” he spoke before turning around and running up to his room as fast as he possibly could.

Swabby pulled out his secret stash, grabbing a very specific tape before running back down to the living room.

 

In the short amount of time he was gone, Grillby had curled up on the far end of the couch, his flames flickering as small trembles shook his body.

It broke Swabby's heart seeing his friend in such a state.

He moved towards the TV and placed the tape in the VHR before returning to Grillby’s side and hugging him once more.

 

“Hey,” he mumbled against warm orange flames. “I’m back.”

 

Grillby blinked and wrapped his arms around the smaller monster again.

 

“It's alright,” he mumbled, petting gently through Grillby's head flames and wondering not for the first time what exactly was going on in his friend’s head.

 

Swabby snuggled up next to Grillby and took the remote, aiming it at the TV.

Grillby looked at him curiously.

 

“No, not TV, Grillby... a video I made some time ago,” explained Swabby, smiling deviously. “It was supposed to be blackmail... or for a very funny family reunion but... it’s much better suited for this than that I think.”

 

He turned on the TV and let the video play. And instantly he had to smile, remembering how the video came to be.

On the screen was Fellby, his blue flames illuminating the dark living room very weakly.

Around him were all of the children, their small size indicating that it had to be close to the second or third year in which the children were with them, cuddled up close to the flame elemental.

In addition, Fellby was singing!

Quite beautifully at that.

 

Grillby's eyes grew huge and he stared at Swabby with a mixture of emotions.

 

“I was lucky getting that,” the yellow flame giggled. “He doesn't know I have it... but I couldn't resist...”

 

Grillby smiled, some tears in his eyes. He hugged Swabby a bit tighter as he looked to the TV, watching Fellby singing to their children.

Swabby could feel how the tension slowly melted from Grillby’s body.

By the time Fellby ended his song, Grillby’s eyes were closed and his breathing came deep and even.

Swabby let the video run a bit longer, showing more scenes of Fellby singing different songs during different occasions, mostly lullabies for the children when he thought nobody was able to see or hear him. Swabby turned and placed a quick kiss on Grillby's forehead before settling down himself seeing as how Grillby's grip on him would not let up any time soon.

But that was alright. That's what family is for after all.

 

When the children came home, Grillby's mood had improved a lot, the small nap helping him more than Swabby would have imagined. He was still without his voice, however, but it was not a big issue due to the children having already learned simple sign language in their classes.

 

Swabby was sure the kids knew… perhaps not the details but they all were very clever. They would figure out the reason why Grillby sometimes only spoke with his hands and would quickly discover ways to help.

 

Papyrus announced that he would make dinner and Parz followed after him with a mock-sigh, intending to help whilst stating that otherwise it would only be butchered spaghetti.

Pyru shifted into his canine form and curl up beside the flames, letting himself be petted.

Sans grabbed the remote and switched on the TV as Saz brought blankets and cushions.

Meanwhile, Suny decided to crawl into Grillby’s lap and give him a bear hug before proceeding to tell the flames all about his day.

 

Grillby smiled.

Not his biggest or happiest, just a thin curve in his mouth, barely visible for anybody who was not familiar with him. Nevertheless, it was a smile.

He gave all of them a hug, a bit tighter than usual.

 

By the time Fellby came back from Hotland, they were all curled up on the couch.

Grillby opened his eyes when he noticed the small blue flickering and smiled. “Welcome home,” he spoke, his voice barely a whisper but still there.  


Fellby stared at him for a moment in silence before finally speaking up. “Get off my couch.”  


Grillby shook his head, chuckling though no sound came from him. “Come,” he told, holding out his arm for his cousin.  


“Ugh you and the brats took my spot,” the blue flame growled in reply. “There is no space!”

  
With another shake of his head, Grillby reached out and took hold of Fellby’s arm, pulling the smaller flame to the couch with the rest of their small family. There was some flailing and a rather undignified surprised sound and some silent chuckling from Grillby. Fellby settled grumbling on him and Swabby, mumbling something about Grillby being weird when sleepy.

 

And sleep overtook Grillby pretty fast after that.

 

The next morning, Grillby awoke on the couch with all the children around him and Swabby still hugging on to him. Fellby too was still there, laying on top of everybody as though he did not care that the couch was occupied anymore. A warm rush of love and affection ran through Grillby's soul from the sight.

 

His LOVE was gigantic and the pressure upon his soul was heavy...

Still, the love he held for his family dwarfed all of the LOVE in the word.

 

 

 

 

 

Fellby knew that Grillby sometimes grew silent.

 

His cousin did not really talk much inside his bar, just listening to orders and making drinks or food as needed. The patrons seemed used to this. There was even a strange Fish and Bird monster duo that “translated” for Grillby which was somewhat hilarious because they genuinely thought that Grillby was mute.

 

Fellby started pretending to be mute too when those two were around just to hear their hilarious translations of total silence. It was a great fun on otherwise lazy days.

 

But Grillby's strange silence at his work-place aside, Fellby witnessed some days where Grillby just would not speak at all. His cousin would just come down from his room and be silent, making strange signs with his hands that somehow opted for a language apparently.

 

Fellby never learned Sign language, there was no real reason to back when he was growing up, and the fact that he was the only one seemingly unable to understand Grillby just drove him crazy.

Therefore, when another day came with Grillby sitting in the kitchen looking tired and not saying anything, just raising his hand and making the signs, Fellby did what he always did:

 

Get the fuck away.

 

So he gave the boys a quick pet on the skull and told them he had something urgent to do in Hotland. He was out of the house before Swabby could even think about asking when he would return.

 

“You know,” Fellby mumbled a few hours later, safely within his own home. “It’s just ridiculous.”

 

The place he called home was not much, really. Kind of small all things considered…

A cave melted into stone high upon the far wall behind the lava fields. A place where no one would find him, especially not the Royal Guard.

Hell, 90% of the Underground could not even pass over the lava without damage or an even worse fate and the remaining 10% would find it neigh on impossible to scale the cave wall, let alone even know where to start since the opening was invisible at ground level.

There was no light within save for the reflections coming from the lava pools below which bounced off of broken mirror shards that Fellby had placed methodically years beforehand and the small glow of his own flames.

Over the years he had bought and stolen, mostly the later, a countless number of clothes, pillows and blankets for himself as well as random knickknacks, books and several other items just to fill up the cramped corners of the two tiny rooms.

His bedroom, the second room which he melted into existence seemingly a lifetime ago, was rather unimpressive just like his so-called bed which was just a slab of stone he slept on covered with stolen blankets trying, uselessly, to make the surface soft… nothing like the couch at Grillby’s place.

 

It was not much yet, still, was his home.

And there was still one good reason he kept returning…

 

“I mean, I kind of know and get that Grills is sometimes like that but URGH,” he growled, throwing his arms into the air. “I can't STAND not understanding him. It's just... UGH!!”

 

His conversation partner just had silence for him.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I KNOW okay?” Fellby sighed out as he picked up the large jar he’d been pacing in front of this whole time. “It's just... he is too much like... like I imagined... stuff.” He shook his head at these words, sitting back against the rock slab. “You know which stuff, don’t act like you don’t.”

 

A small clanking noise met his words.

 

“I’m getting soft, it's disgusting,” he spat. “I’m letting my guard down and the worst is I think I might actually enjoy this shit. I... I just really do and I HATE when I am not included in… whatever the hell this is.”

 

There was a small, audible blub.

 

“Heh,” Fellby half-chuckled. “You always know what to say, Soup,” he mumbled and, after a tiny moment, nuzzled the jar within his hands.

 

It was a large jar, one that use to contain pickles by the smell of it, however inside said jar was… a creature.  
One of the failed attempts at making dinner years and years ago, long before even meeting the children, that sprung to life. Fellby was still puzzled by how and why that happened exactly…

Not to mention that it happened once again when he tried to cook for the children though Grillby had destroyed the ones that came from that experiment.

Nevertheless, Fellby just couldn't get rid of Soup, his first attempt at making the soup his mother used to cook.

 

Soup was actually great to be around.

As long as you fed him and kept him sealed in his jar...

Still, he made a pretty good pet-slash-friend. He always listened to Fellby whenever he had to get something off his chest without judging or stabbing him in the back. Besides, it wasn’t like Soul could tell anyone anything…

 

“But it's still so... URGH, you hear me?” grumbled Fellby, laying backwards and leaning even more against his makeshift bed, the jar containing Soup still cradled in his hands. “And everybody just KNOWS this language, even the kids... I think the candle taught them while I was away during the first years...” He frowned suddenly. “You know; I really do feel bad about that now... I couldn't stay there but… it kinda feels like the old days… like home,” he sighed sadly, looking down at Soup.

“I hate to say it but I’m scared. One day the kids’ll be all grown up and out of the house,” he continued, voice quiet. “...and, well... what about me then? Swabby can just go back to Hotland, he actually has a life there. I have no clue why he hangs around this much anyway... He practically moved in, can you believe that?” Fellby let out a humorless laugh. “The fucking candle in Snowdin... but yeah, he can return to his little life... Hell, he could STAY with Grills. They uh… they like each other I think. They’re always snuggling to one another and talking all this mushy crap about family and… and the kids… AND Swabby isn't fucked up like me so that’d be right up his alley. But me? In the end, I guess it’ll just be me and you again, Soup. Back to where we started, huh?”

 

Soup let out a small blub.

 

Fellby nodded, hugging the jar tighter. “...I don't wanna go back,” he whispered to his pet. “I don't wanna be alone again... I just... want things to stay how they are now… with Grills and Swabby and the brats. I just...” he paused, voice cracking a bit. “I miss having a family. I… I want to keep THIS family. Ya know?”

 

A bubble in the mass of Soup’s body popped.

 

Fellby sighed. “Yeah, I thought so.”

 

Soup was the best pet. He would never tell anyone about the tears. He just sat in his jar, waiting for food.

 

He must have fallen asleep at some point because he awoke with a start later by a tapping sound.

Soup was clicking one of his claws, the longest of the two, against the glass.

 

“Hungry?” Fellby questioned, stifling a yawn. “Come here, you big blob.” He took out a few algae sticks and opened the jar, letting them fall in before resealing the lid.

Soup absorbed the sticks happily, not even bothering to use his beak, while Fellby watched with a smile. Soup bubbled a bit while finishing the last piece.

 

Fellby’s eyes grew larger. “OF COURSE!” he shouted, hugging the jar. “You are right; I just have to learn!” He placed Soup back upon his little nook in the wall and pet the lid before doing a 180 and running towards the cave’s entrance. “Be back later, Soup!”

 

 

 

 

 

Muffet's bakery was usually quiet in the evenings.

There were a few monsters there but most of them weren't really interested in baked goods, many of them were known for some rather shifty dealings. Muffet knew their types. Some of them were hurt and twisted, others just a bit itchy. Most of them did something illegal but nothing too serious...

After all, Muffet would not tolerate any real crime in her shop.

 

Usually, around this time, the shiftier part of monster society came in to trade of information and goods.

Most of them were like Fellby in a way, Muffet supposed. Not bad just… hurt. Survivors of horrible situations and of course thieves. They were alright.

Mostly.

And if not then Muffet was more than prepared to deal with them on her own.

 

However, when Fellby stormed into the bakery, it got her attention.

 

“MUFFET!” he cried out, running over to her.

 

She just smiled her large grin and wrapped four of her six arms around him, pulling him close. “What can I do for you, Blueberry Cookie?” she asked. She could never get enough of the hot blue flame. It was such a shame that he wasn’t interested…

 

“Can it, Cupcake,” Fellby growled, squirming from her grip. “I need a favor.”

 

“Oh? Pray tell, Sweet Cake?”

 

“I need to learn how to talk in hands.”

 

Muffet blinked. “What?”

 

“You heard me,” replied Fellby, a defensive note sneaking into his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Teach me how to do the hand thingy.”

 

“...you mean sign language?”

 

“Yeah, that crap.”

 

“You never learned as a kid?”

 

“What of it?” snapped Fellby, a tinge of purple sparking through his flames.

 

Muffet stared at him. After all these years knowing him, she knew that he would flee if she pressed him more so she opted to let out a sigh and shook her head before giving off her signature giggle.

 

“Alright, Butter Muffin, I'll get you up to speed.”

 

 

 

 

 

“UGH why is this so complicated,” Fellby growled in frustration. “Damn Grills, why can't he just talk like everybody else? Fucking putting me through this shit.”

 

“You know, there are a lot of deaf and mute monsters,” Muffet informed, looking towards the flame with her head slightly titled and tea cup resting in one hand. “That's why everyone normally learns sign language as a child…”

 

“Pff never got it,” Fellby muttered. “I remember Grills starting to, I think, when we were just sparks... He uh taught me this,” he paused in order to make a few signs. “I guess it could’ve been cool as a kid but now it's just a hassle.”

 

Muffet blinked. “Wait. Show those signs again.”

 

“Huh? These?” Fellby questioned, repeating the motion with a bit of concentration before making a face. “Please don't tell me Grills taught me to say ‘I am stupid’ or something like that.”

 

“No, no,” giggled Muffet. “Nothing like that, Honey Bagel. It's a bit rough but it's shorthand for ‘I am watched over’ followed by the shorthand for what Grillby uses for his own name today... so basically he taught you to say that ‘Grillby is watching over me’,” she concluded.

 

It was rather cute for a child to do.

 

Fellby, on the other hand, did not laugh. He just stared down at his hands. “The idiot,” he mumbled quietly. “Hey uh Muffet?” he continued after a brief pause. “What does these mean?” He raised his hands again and signed out a few crude signs though Muffet seemed to recognize them, even if they were clearly not exact.

 

“Hmm,” she hummed. “All sorts of words,” continued Muffet, taking a sip of her tea. “Nightmare is one of them. Bad day. Flashback. Don't feel well. Don't worry. Don't let them worry. Please stay. And uh... the last one I don't really know,” she spoke, musing over it a bit. “It's the Sign for S and the sun I believe?”

 

“... must be Swabby,” Fellby muttered. “Damn candle is bright.”

 

Muffet giggled. “Come on, he’s a good guy... and Sun suits him.”

 

“...Hey, Muffet? How do you say candle?”

 

“You’re going to tease him aren’t you,” Muffet laughed but instructed him how to do so. At least he had the motivation to learn…

 

When Fellby returned a few days later, he was able to sign “Shut it, candle” whenever Swabby tried to nag at him as well as teach the kids five swear words in sign.

 

 

 

 

 

However, these were not the only times where Fellby noticed the strange silence surrounding Grillby.

There was a pattern to it though it took him a few years to figure it out since he was not around as often as Swabby or the children, at least that is what he chalked it up to in the end. He wasn't blind or stupid, he noticed it before but never thought about speaking of it…  
After a talk with Swabby, Saz and Parz, he knew it to be a yearly thing.

 

One special day every year, Grillby would fall silent.

No nightmare, no flashback… He would just go silent from morning until night.

What was worse is that he would be there for breakfast and dinner but he would disappear for the rest of the day, just not to work as per usual.

The bar stood closed.

 

Swabby, however, had no answers whenever Fellby tried to pry information from the yellow flame, stating that Grillby never spoke about it...

So Fellby did the logical thing:

He asked the brats to spy for him.

 

Though there was not much even Saz and Parz could tell him.

Grillby would not talk, he would disappear for a few hours though the boys always seemed to lose track of him, and he would come home right before nightfall to serve dinner.

 

“He just talks in hands the whole day,” Saz mumbled, frowning. “It's like... a thing.”

 

“Papyrus and Suny always get annoying and try to hug him the whole time,” huffed Parz, crossing his arms. “They always hogging dad.”

 

Not much to get there.

So, of course, he did the NEXT logical thing:

Spy on him himself!

 

Come the following year, Fellby finally got his chance.  
It was a standard day save for the fact that Grillby became silent.

His cousin made breakfast and smiled whenever Swabby informed him that he would handle lunch. He hugged onto Papyrus and Suny when they clung to him and signed a few things down to them though Fellby could just barely understand… Then he took his coat and left the house.

Only this time, Fellby followed after him, sneaking out of the house with his coat wrapped tightly around his body. Footprints and a faint orange glow in the distance leading him down the correct paths.

 

Grillby walked for a long time through the Snowdin forest until he came to rest at an impressively sized tree.

It was a rather strange tree. Larger than any of the others surrounding it with a thick trunk. No leaves seemed to grow from it.

 

Grillby sat down in the snow before the tree, his flames flickering as he laid his hand against the old wood. “Hello, dear friend,” he whispered.

 

Fellby was surprised to hear his voice sound so gentle.

 

“It's been a year again. Time runs so quickly, huh?” he whispered. “Many things happened... I should tell you about them, huh?”

 

Nothing answered him, of course. It was a tree after all.

Still, his cousin proceeded to tell the tree everything about the year. Things the kids learned and did rather at home or in school. What Swabby and even Fellby himself were up to… Everything!

It went on for hours.

 

Fellby had to admit, he could not recall ever hearing Grillby talk so much.

 

After he finally told the tree about the school meeting last week, his cousin grew silent again, just staring up at the tree.

 

“…I still miss you an awful lot, Slyph,” Grillby whispered finally. “I am better. I am still going on and I... I am happy. I just... wish you were here too.”

 

Fellby was completely confused.

Who was this Sylph guy? Grillby had never spoke of anyone by that name...

A spark of jealousy begun to grow within his soul.

 

“It's foolish, I know...”, continued Grillby. “And you surely would laugh at me... but... I wish I could have introduced you to Fellby and Swabby. You would have loved them, I'm sure.”

 

Fellby almost snorted. Okay, Grills, that was a lot of faith to put on whoever the hell he was talking to...

Swabby is a fucking candle. Sure, he is alright but also annoying and a blackmailer. Besides, most flames would consider his yellow hue down-right ugly. A flame burning too low to properly share heat and in constant danger of dying…

And himself? Fuck, he was even worse off. A criminal and murderer. He had EXP and LOVE and, to be honest, had to many issues for others to even consider the thought of liking him let alone ‘love’. Swabby at least had a lot going for him, he was bright and clever and could do so many things and would never, ever give up when he wanted to get something done. Fellby on the other hand? Not much beside a rather large track record and who knows how many Wanted Poster in the capitol…

 

Really, Grillby must be delusional.

 

Come to think about it, it was still a mystery to him why Grillby ever let him in his life again.

 

“You would have liked Fellby,” Grillby continued, letting out a hollowed laugh. “He reminds me a lot of how you liked your students… Headstrong, stubborn and questioning everything. To be honest, frustrating...” Grillby paused there, shaking his head. “Though he’s sharp and loyal to the end, even if he tries pretending not to be.”

 

Fellby felt himself blushing at that, purple raising in his cheeks. What was Grillby even talking about?

 

“And Swabby... you would have loved him. He’s clever and resourceful. Life gave him a really... bad hand yet he still plays on with a smile. He... he is a bit like a sun. Bright and warm to a fault,” he spoke softly, smiling gently up at the leafless tree. “Both of them have the same kindness you valued in monster…” Grillby leaned against the tree, adding in afterthought, “They would have liked you too.”

 

Fellby felt a knot forming in his throat. He swallowed. The raw emotions he felt from Grillby was off-putting.

 

“The kids are... great too. Every day am I just so thankful and honored that they chose me to care for them,” continued Grillby. “They are doing fine, by the way. School gives Parz and Saz a bit trouble and Suny and Papyrus still haven’t quite figured out the whole ‘sit still’ part but... they really are good kids.” He let out a deep sigh. “I can’t help but to wonder if you would have wanted children... We never actually talked about that, did we? Come to think of it, we did not talk much about the future. I regret that a bit but perhaps it’s for the best...”

 

Fellby wondered if Grillby maybe finally talked himself out after a pause of silence. When he spied at him, he saw Grillby leaning against the tree and hunched over… Shaking?

 

A quiet sob finally broke the silence. “I... must apologize, Sylph,” Grillby whispered. “You told me to move on... but... I still... am trapped in the past. I miss you a lot. By the stars, I miss you.”

 

His speech started in a wail but turned quickly into sobs, muffled by his hand. There was a strange rawness in Grillby's voice and suddenly Fellby understood.

 

It was loss.

 

Soul-shattering grief.

 

Something he felt all too well after everything sunk in; when he finally was in the Underground and alone in the lava fields.

 

Family and friends that would never come back. Never being able to hear their chuckle or listen to their stories like those his father use to tell him…

 

It was a deep, painful grief that gripped his soul all those years ago and, to be honest, never let go.

He got his life destroyed in one fateful night, endured torture for over a year and was shunned by the remains of his own family…

And of course Grillby hadn’t known…

Hearing his cousin like this, sobbing and his voice breaking, for the first time it really sunk in how much Grillby must have lost too. He FOUGHT in the war after all!

And the monsters lost…

 

How many had Grillby watched die? How many friends?

Fellby couldn't even blame him anymore for not coming for him. Maybe it was for the best.

He wasn't... very sane for at least 100 years and even after that he still had issues. Fellby knew he had issues and had developed a sort of resentment for, well, everyone.

 

Except the world wasn’t as cold as he made it out to be in his anger and fear…

Hell there was still Muffet… She was a great friend even though she always clung to him needlessly and called him by all those stupid mushy names…

Of course, there were others too. Members of his gang in Hotland, his betting buddies…

Soup and Crumbs, though they were more like pets. Family, still, yes but… well…

Not like the brats. He could remember clearly the happiness he felt when he held them all, an emotion he never expected to feel again.

 

Fellby also felt the desire to step out of his hiding place and hug his cousin but it seemed a bit intrusive so he kept silent and watched as Grillby sobbed, his voice cracking and finally disappearing until he wept silently.

However, he was still plagued with jealousy.

 

_Would he have grieved about me like this if I had died?_

 

It was an ugly and petty thought but Fellby had always been selfish.

But to be jealous of somebody who was long dead for the honest grief Grillby was experiencing?

 

_No wonder they called you the black sheep of the family…_

 

Desire to run away met the desire to comfort.

In the end, he was locked in place.

 

He stood there, watching over Grillby and later followed him back home.

He did not say a word when he slipped into the house a few minutes after Grillby. However, he did make a point not to comment on his cousin’s silence that night.

 

Somehow, they ended up having a marathon of homemade videos about the children growing up and they themselves goofing off and being happy.

Fellby still had no idea as to how Swabby managed to get videos from most of it. He never saw a camera… But it was nice. Watching videos and remembering happy memories. Fellby even found himself laughing about some of them.

 

Grillby smiled silently, seeming a lot more relaxed than in the woods.

After some time, Grillby fell asleep with his head coming to rest on Swabby’s shoulder.

Fellby watched them for a moment or two.

 

Swabby noticed the eyes on him and smiled at the blue flame strangely. “Did you find your answers?” he asked gently.

 

It took everything Fellby had not to flinch. “Tsk,” he huffed. “Don’t know what you’re going on about.”

 

“You spied on him,” Swabby replied pointblank. “Don't deny it, you are terrible at being sneaky.”

 

Fellby huffed again and focused a glared on the flame before him. “He just went on a walk in the forest,” he mumbled, glancing back to his cousin. “Talked to a tree like a madman.”

 

“He never liked talking about the war,” explained Swabby. “But he gets… bad days... and really bad days. Then, once a year, this will happen…”

 

Fellby continued to watch Grillby, trying to wrap his head around the bit of information.

 

“Well... he didn't have a very bad day for a long time now,” muttered Swabby, seemingly in thought. “Today was not VERY bad… Just bad.”

 

“Shut up, Swabby,” Fellby mumbled suddenly before leaning against Grillby too, enjoying the warmth his body emitted. “I'm tired.”

 

He heard a chuckle beside him. A blanket appeared on him and he could feel how Swabby settled against Grillby's other side.

 

“Good night then.”

 

 

\--

 

 

Bad days were pretty rare from that day on.

Which made it even more surprising for Swabby, and Fellby seeing that he never witnessed a REALLY bad day, when it happened close to twelve years after they took in the skeletons.

 

Nobody was really sure what set Grillby off seeing as how it was the blizzard season and not much was happening around that time. The only difference in this blizzard season was the unusual cold which seeped into every room of the house.

The skeletons slept huddled together under a heap of blankets with all the portable heaters in their room while both Swabby and Fellby slept in Grillby's bed seeing that their cousin made for the best heater of the house.

 

It was a bit awkward first, managing three grown flames into the single bed, but over the years they fell asleep often enough together on the couch as well as tended to one another whilst the other was sick so they came to a conclusion rather quickly. Raising six children together and depending on each other for so long made something small like sharing a bed no issue.

 

Fellby just snatched Swabby up one evening and dragged him to Grillby's bed, complaining about the cold and saying, “If I’m cold than you’ve bound the be freezing” as he forced his way past their very confused cousin. Then proceeded to tease the yellow flame about his sleeping attire relentlessly.

 

While Grillby had a rather standard set of PJs, which Swabby recognized as the pair he gave the flame some years ago as a giftmas present, Fellby preferred to just sleep in pants without a shirt. Swabby, on the other hand, owned several long sleeping gowns.

 

Fellby seemed puzzled and strangely fascinated by said gowns. “How can you even sleep in something like that?” he asked as he looked over the long white cotton that reached Swabby's ankles. “It’s way to restraining.”

 

“I like my back and my legs warm, thank you very much,” retaliated Swabby as he fetched more blankets from the closet.

 

“You look like a granny.”

 

“And you look like a cold waiting to happen.”

 

“Get into bed already,” huffed Grillby between them, lifting the blanket for both of them to crawl under.

An invitation that was followed as quickly as possible.

 

Fellby could call him granny as much as he wanted. Gowns were wonderfully warm and Swabby wouldn't trade them for anything.

 

It was this unique sleeping situation that got Swabby and Fellby to be witness to the terrible nightmare that overcame Grillby that night.

Both of them were woken suddenly by a high-pitched scream in the middle of the night or perhaps closer to the early morning in all honesty.

It took Swabby several moments to even recognize the voice. And the fact that it was suddenly very BRIGHT within the room.

 

“Ah fuck. Damn it who the hell turned on the light show,” Fellby beside him swore and cursed as he fumbled for his sunglasses before quickly placing them on. “What the hell-“ his words paused and he did not continue with what he was starting to say as the scream ebbed away and he noticed the source.

 

Grillby, somehow, had ended up in the far corner of the room, his flames shifted to a deep red while he held his head with both hands, shaking violently and crying uncontrolled.

 

What made Swabby alarmed was the mumbling.

Screams and mumbling was very rare.

 

“Grillby?” he spoke up, getting out of bed and walking towards the flame. He could see Fellby staring at first before getting out of bed and following after him.

 

“Grills?” he mumbled, voice sounding unsteady. “What the hell’s goin’ on?”

 

There was no reply save for the incoherent mumbling from Grillby, still locked away in the depths of his own mind.

To be totally honest, Swabby felt really helpless in that moment.

The look on Fellby's face showed that he felt the same. “Grills, come on, snap out of it,” Fellby spoke out finally, reaching out to touch Grillby only to provoke a broken sob.

 

“They... they are dead...” mumbled Grillby, voice becoming a bit more understandable. “They’re dead... I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...”

 

“Who is dead?” asked Fellby confused.

 

“Gautami... Sylvan... oh stars... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry…”

 

Swabby looked to Fellby, noticing how the blue flame seemed totally lost. Swabby, however, knew the name Sylvan. Grillby used to utter the name in earlier episodes and Gautami was the name of one of the few skeleton warriors who survived the war.

 

“Fellby... Swabby… ch-children... I...” There were other broken words followed with sobbing from Grillby.

 

Swabby could only lean in, laying a gentle hand on Grillby's shoulder.

He flinched at the contact but did not lash out.

 

“Shhh, Grillby, I'm here... Fellby too,” whispered Swabby, carefully pulling Grillby into a hug. He was a bit surprised when Fellby joined him too, holding on to Grillby with a strange look on his face. Swabby knew the feeling. It was strange seeing Grillby, who was normally so calm, this broken down and raw.

 

Nevertheless, Grillby did not seem to hear them, still curled up into himself, his flames flickering dangerously. Bright hot tears rolled down his cheeks and his fingers were almost sunk into his head with the force he pressed them into his flames. “Oh stars, oh stars,” he whimpered. “Not again, not again...”

 

“What not again?” asked Fellby finally, still confused.

 

“Dust... so much dust...”

 

“He must be having a nightmare,” concluded Swabby. “It's almost as bad as in the beginning...”

 

“What are you talking about?” questioned Fellby.

 

“Grillby had nightmares for centuries,” Swabby replied. “Remember, bad days?”

 

“But he was fine on bad days!”

 

“No... uh yes... You just... never saw the really bad days...”

 

Grillby let out a whimper.

Swabby just helplessly cooed, still trying to get him out of whatever vision his nightmare showed.

Fellby, on the other hand, needed a few seconds to gather himself. He then turned back to Grillby, hugging him tightly. “Grills, you idiot, wake up,” he growled though there was no strength behind his words. “Whatever your fucked up mind sees, isn’t real.”

 

“D-dust... C-children... Fellby... Swabby... no...”

 

“Ain't no dust here,” Fellby mumbled gently, his voice low. “Just me and the candle, both of which are fine. Neither of us’ll turn to dust that easily... I mean, fuck, have you seen the stupid stuff this guy does?”

 

“I couldn't... I couldn't...” continued Grillby, making a broken sound. “Oh stars, please forgive me...”

 

“Grills, come one,” Fellby growled. “Don't do this shit.”

 

Which just prompted Grillby to cry more.

 

“Fuck, Grills... come on, I don’t know what to do in spots like this.”

 

Swabby tried to sooth the taller flame with soft pets though it was easy to see that it was not working as he hoped.

 

It was an act of desperation, something Fellby knew worked with the children.

Suddenly, the blue elemental begun humming. Just a simple melody.

 

Grillby, still within their arms, began to calm down, seemingly listening to the tune.

 

Fellby glanced towards Swabby somewhat bashful.

Swabby gave the flame a smile when their eyes met, nodding for him to continue.

 

Fellby continued the melody which slowly transformed into song. _“Just close your eyes... The sun is going down,”_ Fellby sang gently, still holding his cousin close. _“It will be alright, no one can hurt you now, come morning light... you and I'll be safe... and... sound...”_ It was a very simple song, not much on lyrics and pretty cheesy come to think about it but it was the first thing in Fellby's mind and it seemed to do the trick.

 

Even Swabby seemed to relax beside him, humming lowly with him.

 

It felt like an eternity before Grillby finally took a deep breath and blinked up to Fellby, his eyes finally focused and not trapped within the past.

 

“Fellby?” he asked quietly.

 

“There you are again,” whispered Swabby, smiling. “We were worried... That was a pretty bad one, huh?”

 

Grillby nodded, holding on to both of them. “I... saw you...”

 

“What? You saw us dusted?” questioned Fellby. “Don't be stupid. There is no way I'm going to go out just like that. Besides, the candle here is way too slippery to be caught.”

 

Swabby chuckled. “You hear that, Fellby admits that I am good at dodging.”, Swabby teased gently. “So it has to be true, doesn’t it?”

 

Grillby looked at both of them, still shaken though nodded slowly, his grip on them never lessening.

They somehow managed to get back into the bed and throw a blanket haphazardly over them with Grillby snuggled between the two.

For a while, Grillby was entirely silent, just shaking as his flames flickered.

 

“I dreamed that... that Gaster came back,” Grillby whispered finally. “I wasn't... fast enough...”

 

Fellby snorted. “Really? That’s what your big, bad nightmare was about? The fucking bastard of a doc coming to get us?”

 

“There... there was dust... The children... there was... something else...”

 

“Grillby, Fellby is right,” Swabby muttered at his side. “Gaster was turned to dust. We all saw it with our own eyes. Besides, our children are quick and clever… They wouldn't be caught so easily… nor would Fellby or myself.”

 

“I know that,” Grillby sighed out. “I just… feel like it isn't as over as we would like it to be. There are still many things that we just… can’t figure out and… and…”

 

“You are a worrywart, Grills,” Fellby yawned, shoving Grillby's head under the blanket. “The bastard’s dust and gone so forget about it. He's been gone for YEARS now.”

 

“I … guess you are right,” Grillby sighed out, shaking his head. “...thank you.”

 

“Hey,” Fellby mumbled out, his voice lacking its usual biting tone. “I’ll be here every time you need to be reminded that you’re a fucking idiot.”

 

“Yeah, besides could you imagine what would happen if he somehow de-dusted himself now?” asked Swabby, chuckling. “Not only would the king be on his tail, everybody who knows the boys would jump in to get a piece of him.”

 

“The dogs in the forefront,” chuckled Fellby. “Were you ever on the business end of Lesser Dogs attacks when he’s pissed? It's not pretty, I tell you.”

 

“And then there are the snow bunnies and snowdrakes,” added Swabby, counting off on his fingers.

 

“The strange fish girl from waterfall too,” mused Fellby. “She's pretty strong… Training under King Asgore and likes both Papyrus and Parz.”

 

“Then Gerson. You yourself told me how he is with children.”

 

“The river weirdo would help too, I’m sure.”

“Do not forget that our kids can transform into bone-dragon-dogs with laser beams.”

 

Grillby just had to laugh about how excited Swabby and Fellby counted down all the support they would have in case Gaster really come back. He couldn't help himself and hugged them, an arm around each of them as he pulled them close. This, this was being alive and well. This wasn't a dream that could be taken away. This was real and the love in his soul vibrated with this.

 

“Grillby?”

 

“Grills?”

 

The two of them sounded confused but Grillby paid no mind. Life was great with family like this.

 

There would be bad days and really bad days in the future. Nothing would change that.

But no matter what, Grillby had an amazing family now.

 

Even the worst day would be bearable with that in his mind.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for all these kind comments, for likes and rebloggs on Tumblr and anything else. ^^ This was another intermission to maybe shed some light on Grillby, Fellby and Swabby.  
> Besides that, hey, Fellby wasn't much in the School-Jitter-chapters, wasn't he? XD So here you have your fix of him again. XD
> 
> ((The Song Fellby is singing is "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift.))
> 
> Hope you had fun with it.


	20. The Path to the Future – School Day Jitters  Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swabby is having a talk with Saz and Parz and some bounding with Parz. There is dinner and laughter and Suny has the weirdest plans. Also: Guess who is back? :D

 

 

 

When Swabby opened the door a sliver to spy inside, Saz and Parz were still asleep looking rather peaceful with Parz wrapped partly around his brother, cuddling him to the best of his abilities. It was heartwarming and Swabby could not help but to smile as he walked over to the bed and sat on the edge.

 

Neither stirred despite the now bright light next to them.

Swabby reached out and placed a hand on Parz' little head, gently petting him. He felt how Parz nuzzled weakly into his touch and he allowed more warmth to seep into his hand, warming the little child before him.

It was true, he did not burn as hot as Grillby nor Fellby but he was still a flame and still able to provide this warmth for the children he adored so much.

 

It did not take long for Parz to stir, little red eyes blinking as a tiny yawn escaped him.

 

“Hey,” spoke Swabby gently. “Feeling better now?”

 

Parz watched Swabby in silence, not saying anything.

Saz made a tiny little noise too, blinking his eyes open before making a confused sound.

Parz took this as a cue to unwrap himself from his brother, sitting up slowly all the while keeping his eyes on the bright yellow flame before him.

 

Swabby chuckled at the picture. “Slept well, huh? You looked pretty put out,” he said. “Was school really that tiring?”

 

Parz remained silent, just watching Swabby with wide, focused eyes.

 

Saz sat up slowly. “Uncle Swabby?”

 

“I am here,” answered Swabby. “The both of you were so exhausted... You took a nap just now.”

 

“I don't like it,” Parz huffed out finally.

 

“Don't like school?” asked Swabby with a slight frown. “Hmm... what do you not like?” he inquired softly, understanding seeping into his mind. “Was it too loud for you?” he continued, knowing how Parz usually complained about things being too loud around the house.

Asklepios had, after all, confirmed during his last check-up that Parz' senses were heightened in comparison to children within his age group. And seeing as how Saz and Parz spent a good part of their early years in almost complete darkness, the healer’s words made sense.

 

Parz just pouted at the string of questions, looking away.

 

“Parz... Come here,” Swabby said softly. He waited until Parz turned to him before gently and carefully hugging him, keeping the embrace light so that Parz could break out if he so wanted. “It's quiet now, huh?” he whispered. “Or was there something else you didn't like?”

 

There was a moment of silence, broken only by rustling of clothes and sheets as Saz to leaned against Swabby.

Swabby just smiled, wrapping his free arm around Saz, pulling him into their hug.

Parz made little sound at the movement but relaxed a tiny bit, leaning a tiny bit more against the warm body.

 

“You can tell me,” Swabby whispered. “Or... does something hurt?”

 

Finally, Parz gave a tiny nod.

 

“Something is hurting?” asked Swabby, looking to him. “What hurts? Where does it hurt?” He paused, taking the moment to calm his panic. “I want to help you, Parz... but I need you to answer me.”

 

Parz hesitated for a moment but slowly held his hands in front of him, showing them to Swabby.

 

“Your hands hurt?” Swabby questioned, taking them very gently in his own and scanning over them for injuries. However, he could not find anything different than before the children left for school… “Do they hurt when you move them?” he asked after a few moments, still holding onto the small skeletal hands.

 

Parz gave a little shrug.

 

“Do they still hurt?”

 

“Our hands always hurt.”

 

Swabby blinked and looked to Saz, startled at his words. “Yours too?” It made sense and broke his heart all the same.

Saz answered by holding his hands out before the flame.

 

“Why did neither of you say something earlier?”

 

“It wasn't so bad for me,” mumbled Saz, looking down and not meeting Swabby's eyes. It was easy to see that Saz wasn't telling the full truth there.

 

Swabby was horrified. These two children were in pain and they had not told him until now... hadn’t told anyone... He hugged both of them gently, holding them close as he fought against the tears prickling the corner of his eyes. Stars, just how was he supposed to help these two? “Please tell me when you are hurting,” he finally managed. “I... we all want to help you...”

 

“It's normal,” mumbled Parz.

Saz nodded in agreement to Parz, confirming Swabby's fear.

Damn Gaster and damn him to whatever hell he was now in, hopefully paying for what he had put these children through.

 

“It shouldn't be normal,” Swabby insisted, still holding them. “It shouldn't be! You shouldn't hurt at all! Nobody has to be in pain.”

 

“But...” begun Saz.

 

“No,” Swabby interrupted. “Whatever you were told by... by that... man was wrong,” he stated. “You two are wonderful children and we love you with all our heart and soul. You are always, always loved and nobody, especially you, deserves to be in pain.”

 

“It... shouldn't be?” mumbled Parz, sounding confused. “But...”

“No buts,” stated Swabby firmly, his voice rising a bit before he had himself in check. “Pain... pain is something that tells you when something is wrong,” he explained more gently. “You shouldn't feel it all the time… otherwise, it means that something is wrong ALL the time...” He looked at Parz. “Parz, we want that you and Saz are happy. And... and not in pain.”

 

Parz blinking at him with an expression of confusion.

 

“Your hands... do they hurt when you... use them?” the flame elemental asked again. “I want to call Asklepios to look at them in that case... Does it hurt anywhere else too?”

 

“Asklepios?” asked Saz with a hint of fear to his voice.

 

“You know him,” assured Swabby soothingly. “The really nice healer... The others call him Popo, I think?”

Asklepios was rather amused by the unusual nickname but he seemed to take it as some sort of achievement when the children warmed up to him enough to give him the easier to pronounce title.

 

Realization bloomed in Saz' eyes, he relaxed and gave a nod.

 

“The signs made them hurt,” Parz informed, barely heard. “Our hands... I mean.”

 

“The signs?” asked Swabby, at loss for a moment though it only took a second until he realized what the boy was speaking about. “You mean when you were signing in class?”

 

Saz gave another single nod.

 

“Oh boys...” mumbled Swabby sadly. “If it hurts, you don't have to do them…”

First thing first.

What to do, what to say…

He looked down to the two little hurt skeletons within his arms. “I'll talk to the teacher… or, rather, get Grillby to talk to her tomorrow about all this.”

 

“He'll get mad,” Parz whispered, voice muffled against Swabby’s sweater.

 

Swabby blinked at the words. “Who will be mad?”

 

Parz fell silent again, just flexing his little hands as if testing them out, eyes averted from the flame.

 

After over a year caring for the skeletons, Swabby knew the behavior enough to make a guess. “Parz, are you afraid?” he questioned. When he received no answer, Swabby nuzzled him gently before taking his tiny hands carefully between his own. “Parz, no one will be mad at you… Not for something like this.”

 

“You don't know that,” muttered Parz, still not looking at him.

 

“Parz, if somebody gets mad at you for something like this, they are...”, Swabby took half a second to think of an appropriate word. “A silly dumb dumb-face,” stated Swabby as serious as he could manage.

 

Saz snorted at that, a slight giggle that made Swabby smile a bit in turn.

 

“See? Saz gets it,” he chuckled before getting serious again. “Parz, I don't know who you are afraid of...” he begun, nuzzling him gently. “But... Grillby won't ever, ever be mad at you because you don't want to do something when it's hurting you... Me neither nor Fellby. I promise.”

 

“...that's because you're weak,” Parz states matter-of-factly. “Uncle Fellby says so.”

 

Swabby raised an eyebrow and snorted. Typical. “Oh, he did, huh?” he mumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm. Really what was Fellby telling these boys? “Tip for you, kiddo: Don't take stuff Fellby says too seriously,” he told Parz, chuckling slightly. “I may be weak but I can still get him to do whatever I want.” He gave a small wink. It was true after all. “You don't need brutal strength or need to be ‘strong’...”

 

That seemed to puzzle both of the boys, Saz looking confused towards Parz while Parz furrowed his brows.

 

“But Uncle Fellby...”

 

“Parz,” interrupted Swabby softly, seeing that Parz was struggling to give a real rebuttal. “Uncle Fellby is... a good flame. And a good uncle.” Even if he sometimes did not act as such... or did not seem to believe so himself. “But he can be a bit silly at times. I mean... honestly...” He chuckled and nuzzled both of them. “I got a LOT of material on him.”

 

“Material?” questioned Saz, confused.

 

“Ohhh, photos and the likes,” Swabby replied with a cat-like grin. “I can show you one day if you want.”

 

“You mean blackmail,” stated Parz bluntly. “Uncle Fellby sometimes mumbles about it... What’s blackmail?”

 

Swabby laughed at the tone in Parz’ statement. “He does, huh?” He shook his head. “Well... it means you got some information on somebody and you could tell others about it... but you won't if the person does something for you.”

 

Saz frowned at this. “Isn't that... bad?”

 

“Well... it could be bad,” admitted Swabby. “That's why one has to be very careful and not wanting something bad. Like... for example...” he trailed off, searching in one of the many sewed-in pockets of his sweater before pulling out a photo of Fellby eating a cupcake with frosting smudged across his nose and chin, showing it to the skeletons. “You see this picture?” he chuckled. “It's Uncle Fellby… and for some silly reason, he doesn't want people to know that he loves sweet stuff. The picture looks a bit silly… I could put this on the Underweb OR he does me a favor...”

 

“A favor?” asked Saz.

 

“Well, most of the time I want something that he actually needs,” Swabby explained, waving his hand about as if trying to pull the reply from the air. “In this case...” he trailed off, smiling a bit at the memory. “Well, I used this picture so he would let me give him a hug. He needed one. Badly. And he wanted one but was too silly to admit it so I did so for him,” he continued. “I only blackmail people if it's for their own good after all,” the flame stated a bit more seriously. “That's rule number one, you know? Only use blackmail to benefit, not to hurt others.”

 

Parz just made a face. “Hugs are annoying,” he mumbled quietly as if defending Fellby, matching his tone perfectly.

Swabby couldn’t help but to laugh at the response. “But hugs still are nice... and sometimes the things you need and the things you want are two different things.”

 

“What do you mean?” asked Parz.

 

“Well...” Swabby thought about what to say for a moment. “Sometimes you want something but it's not what you need. Like... Suny really wants to eat a lot of sugar but it's not what he needs, he needs sugar-free candies or otherwise he will get horribly sick,” he tried to bring the topic to a manageable level for Saz and Parz.

 

Saz made a face while remembering the last time Suny got into the sugar, nodding in agreement.

Parz continued to frown.

 

“And Fellby,” Swabby paused for a short moment. “I think he wants and needs affection sometimes,” he continued softly, nuzzling both Saz and Parz as if to underline his statement. “He needs hugs and somebody to tell him that it's fine… uh Okay. But on the other hand, he doesn't want it or rather doesn't want to need it.” Swabby shook his head. “It's super complicated and adults being silly but sadly also the truth.”

 

“That makes no sense,” complained Parz.

 

“Not a bit, huh?” mumbled Swabby, petting over Parz’ skull. “How about this,” he begun, looking at Parz’ hands still held within his own. “You are in pain and need somebody to help you but... you didn't want anybody to know, huh?”

 

Parz stayed silent at that, looking down at his claws.

Swabby could almost see his little mind trying to work through this. “You know Healer Asklepios,” Swabby commented after a break. “He is very kind and would never do anything to hurt you... I want him to look at your hands. Both of yours,” he whispered. “Maybe he can find a way so it won't hurt you anymore.”

 

There was a silent between them, only small noises from downstairs were heard whilst Parz pondered over things.

He finally looked up to Swabby, little red eyes boring into the white depths of the flame’s own. “Okay,” he whispered so softly that it was nearly missed entirely.

 

Swabby blinked in surprise. “Okay?”

Parz gave a tiny nod.

Swabby smiled at him softly. “Okay,” he repeated softly, hugging them both again. “Love you both,” he whispered to them. “We'll figure this out together. Don't worry, okay?”

He felt both boys nuzzling into him at the words.

Saz stayed silent.

However, Parz looked up at his words. “Why would we worry?” he questioned without any emotion. “We’re used to this…”

 

Swabby felt as though his heart broke in two. “And it's worst that you are used to it,” he whispered, holding them closer still. “But we'll do whatever we can to fix that.”

 

“So... we don't have to sign at school?” Saz questioned suddenly, voice muffled by Swabby’s sweater.

 

“No,” the flame stated. “Not as long as it hurts you.”

 

“Grillby said it was a test,” muttered Parz.

 

Swabby took a deep intake of breath.  
Surely, Grillby could have worded this better...

“Well, yes,” he replied slowly, trying to find the right words to help ease Parz' mind about the whole ordeal. “If you can't handle school just yet we would have tried again at a later point or find another solution. It--” he stopped abruptly, a thought entering his mind. “Parz, you DO know that... it wasn't a test like... like in the lab... do you?”

 

“There isn't any other kind.”

 

“There is, Parz, there... there really is,” Swabby sighed, not knowing what to do beside holding the children safe. “It's not a test you are supposed to... PASS. There is no punishment. No FAILING. It's just... can you do the schooling or not and if no, it... it isn't BAD. Okay?”

 

“You're supposed to pass tests,” argued Parz. “Otherwise there is no reason for them.”

 

“Not these kinds of tests,” insisted Swabby. “They are... soft tests. You just try. If you can do it, that’s great. If not, it's not bad. You are not... supposed to do anything.”

 

“That's too confusing.”

 

Swabby chuckled at Parz words. “It is, huh?” he sighed. “How about this: We don't call it a test; we call it a try. You try it out. We know now that signing is not good for you so you don't have to do it. Do you want to give School another try tomorrow… without signing?”

 

“There's too many people there,” Parz mumbled, snuggling deeper into Swabby's arms.

 

“Are you brave enough to face them?” Swabby questioned softly. “Or what do you want? The others most likely will go to school... You would be alone if you stay here.”

 

Parz just looked up at him, obviously knowing that Swabby was right. He huffed, crossed his arms and pouted, leaning against the flame.

 

“You can think it over,” chuckled Swabby. “Well, you would spend the time with me if you stay here.”

 

Saz stirred at that, making a small noise.

Swabby glanced to the small skeleton and shook his head. “Saz, I want you to do something for yourself, not just because Parz is doing so.”

 

“Uncle Fellby says you make us soft,” mumbled Parz suddenly.

 

“What?” Swabby chuckled at that. “How?” he asked in mock-confusion, tickling Parz gently. “You are all bones, nothing soft here. And why do you want to be not-soft, huh? Remember how I said that Uncle Fellby is silly sometimes? This is why.”

 

Parz made a little giggling sound and pushed at Swabby's hand, trying to protect his ribs.

Saz moved to help his brother but Swabby stopped with his assault before he could even reach the flame, just holding both of them.

 

“You don't go soft,” Swabby whispered. “You get healthy. And if Uncle Fellby tells you something different, tell him that I said he is silly.”

 

Parz seemed to think over the statement.

Saz nuzzled into the yellow flames again, little eyes dropping once more.

Swabby waited for either of them to say anything or indicate that they wanted to continue talking.

 

A few minutes went by like this, Swabby holding the two skeletons warm while trying his best not to think about how much of a shame it was that Gaster was not around to face the consequences for the horrible deeds he had done.

 

“He's supposed to come home soon,” Parz’ tiny voice cut into his thoughts. “Uncle Fellby, I mean...”

 

“You called him on the phone, didn't you?”, asked Swabby softly.

 

“Yeah,” Saz yawned out. “We talked to him a bit... He said he would come back when the weather gets better.”

 

“He sounded busy,” added Parz.

 

“Busy huh?” Swabby muttered, shaking his head. “No doubt getting into trouble again...”

 

“What does he do?” inquired Parz, looking up to Swabby innocently.

 

“I don't really know,” admitted Swabby before grinning a bit. “Your brothers are planning on getting it out of him though.”

 

“Can we go look?” asked Saz. “Can we go to Hotland?”

 

“Uh...” made Swabby at the sudden question. “Well, the others want to see my diner so... we will visit Hotland most likely... perhaps… soon…”

 

“What's a diner?” asked Parz quietly.

“It's a bit like Grillby's bar just... more focused on food instead of drinks.”

“So we are going then?” Saz questioned again. “To Hotland?”

 

“I guess so,” mumbled Swabby. “But not today. We are still planning.”

And there was so much planning they needed…

 

“Are we going to eat there?” asked Parz suddenly. “You said it's focused on food... that means eating.”

 

Swabby blinked at him, not expecting this reaction. He finally chuckled and petted Parz. “We can eat there,” he agreed. “Is there something you want to try?”

 

“Hmm... what kind of foods are there?”

 

“Well, all kinds. We have a lot of non-sweet items too,” Swabby added, knowing that Parz did not enjoy sweets unlike his siblings.

 

“I mean food food,” mumbled Parz, making a face. “Not... sweet stuff.”

 

Swabby giggled at Parz’ dry remark. “Well, there is quite a variety,” he answered, thinking about the options on his menu. “The spaghetti is a rather popular choice.”

 

“We have spaghetti a lot,” Parz replied with another disgusted face. “Papyrus likes it too much.”

 

“If we'd listen to him, we would only eat spaghetti.”

 

Swabby giggled harder, holding both skeletons firmly. “Yeah,” he agreed with them. “There are all types of foods... I guess you have to try out.”

 

“Something different?” asked Parz.

 

Swabby nodded. “Many kids love fish-sticks for example. And, of course, the bread-rolls,” he offered. “Oh and pizza!”

Parz blinked curiously at that. “What’s pizza?”

 

“Oh my, I’ve never made you pizza!” Swabby gasped overdramatically before giving a wide grin. “You'll see,” he chuckled. “It's made with cheese, tomatoes and whatever toppings you want.”

 

“That... doesn't sound very good,” Parz mumbled out with another face.

 

“It is, trust me,” Swabby promised. “Well if you can wait, I’ll make some for dinner.”

 

Parz did not seem overly excited by this statement but his curiosity was peeked. “I guess we could try some…”

 

“Alright,” Swabby giggled. “Want to help me make a dish?”

 

“I can help?”

 

“Of course,” replied Swabby, his flames flickering with amusement. “I need a chef assistant, after all.”

 

“What do I do?”

 

Swabby smiled a bit more when he saw the honest interest behind Parz' eyes. “Well, first we go downstairs and get you an apron, then we will get to work,” he informed. “We'll find something that doesn't hurt your hands, okay?”

 

Parz nodded and slid off Swabby's lap, standing up and looking to him.

Saz slowly followed suit, stretching his arms out.

 

“You ready to go down too?”

 

Saz blinked and nodded. “Yeah,” the skeleton muttered. “Thank you, Uncle Swabby.”

 

He gave the boys a final pet on the skulls. “I will always be here for you.”

 

-

 

When they made their way downstairs, they were greeted by the image of the remaining children sitting around Grillby on the couch.

Sans looked a bit put-out and was nuzzled up against Grillby with his arms around Papyrus.

Pyru sat on Grillby's other side with Suny closely cuddled to himself.

 

This was not a rare sight but still pretty cute in Swabby's personal opinion.

“We are taking over the kitchen,” he stated grinning as soon as they were within hearing range.

 

“Are you cooking dinner, Uncle Swabby?” asked Suny, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

 

“Yes,” chuckled Swabby. “And Parz here is going to help me.”

 

“He will, huh?” blinked Grillby looking over to the small skeleton. “Alright... Have fun.”

 

“Thanks. Come on, Parz,” he smiled down to the boy. “Let us begin.” Swabby turned around, half leading Parz to the kitchen.

 

Saz, on the other hand, hesitated unsure what to do with himself.

“SAZ!” Pyru suddenly leaped up, shouting Saz' name as he grabbed hold of him, hugging him close to his chest. He carried his smaller brother over to the couch where he proceeded to cuddle and snuggle with him up to Suny and Grillby. “Finally,” he sighed.

 

Saz was to shocked to say anything.

 

“Pyru,” Suny scolded his brother, “you shouldn’t steal Saz!”

 

Parz glanced to them from around their uncle, watching Pyru like a hawk before being pulled away into the kitchen.

 

“You're always stealing Saz,” Suny continued to complain, putting his hands on his hips and frowning at the tall skeleton.

 

“I can't steal him! He's my brother already,” giggled Pyru.

Suny actually took this as a legitimate answer to the whole ordeal, still frowning but sitting back down.

 

Sans chuckled at them, leaning over to Saz and petting him softly. “But really... You okay, bro?”

 

Saz nodded. “We... took a nap.”

 

“Are you feeling better now?” asked Grillby softly.

 

Saz nodded again at that, leaning into his brothers a tiny bit. Swabby could see how he relaxed a bit in their midst.

 

“Your brother is in good hands in there, huh?” Swabby spoke as he led Parz away. “Well, come on then. Let's find you an apron.”

-

 

Cooking came with some challenges too. But that was to be expected.

 

“Not that one,” Parz instantly rejected the pink frilly apron Swabby offered him. It was a gift from a few years ago and, honestly, Swabby liked it but Parz had a rather strong opinion on the matter.

Luckily, he found him a spare one belonging to Grillby though it was a bit too big on the skeleton.

 

“Hmm that will do for now,” Swabby muttered to himself while helping Parz put the apron on, making a mental note to get Parz a proper apron the next time he went shopping. “What color would you prefer then if not pink?” he questioned, giggling as he tied the string around Parz’ hips and adjusted the apron with pins so that the boy wouldn’t trip whilst moving about.

 

“Um… I like red,” Parz admitted, picking at the tassel attached to his black and red stripped scarf.

 

A red apron then. There would be an opportunity to get one, surely.

The rest of the evening went by fairly quick.

Parz was fascinated by the process of making pizza, asking questions and having a gleam of happiness in his eyes that Swabby seldom saw with him. It seemed that Parz really enjoyed cooking with him.

 

“And you can just... put stuff on it?” asked Parz, standing on his tippy toes to look at the half-finished pizza.

 

Swabby nodded as he placed diced onions around the outer edge. “Yes, that's the beauty of pizza,” he chuckled. “You can add all kinds of stuff and everything together will form something that everybody will enjoy.”

 

Parz looked at the pickles that were standing beside him. “Even parts that doesn't go together?”

 

“Especially the parts that don't go together usually,” Swabby insisted. “It's like... you put everything together and the sum is better than just every part by itself. The pizza is even better WITH all the parts that usually don't go together. That's what makes it interesting and good in the end.”

 

Parz seemed to think on this for a few moments. “Like us,” he mumbled finally.

 

“Huh?” Swabby glanced to the skeleton.

 

“Like us. Like... me and Saz don't go together and both of us don't go together with Sans and Papyrus or Pyru and Suny,” he continued. “Or us and you and Grillby and Uncle Fellby... we are all different.”

 

Swabby nodded slowly, waiting so see where Parz was going with this line of thought.

 

Parz stared at the small bowls containing tomatoes, cheese, salami and paprika. “We are all totally different,” he mumbled quietly.

 

Understanding came to Swabby and he moved closer, putting a hand on Parz' shoulder. “But we all come together as a whole,” the flame replied softly.

 

Parz gave a small nod, leaning into the touch. “I guess so,” he mumbled before grabbing the pepper and a healthy helping of sauce to add to the pizza.

He really appeared quite happy whilst cooking. Perhaps the cooking club at the school would be a good fit for him after all…

 

The two giggled on while adding a ridiculous amount of topping to the pizza before finishing it off with cheese and herbs.

Parz was beaming when Swabby declared their piece of art ready for baking.

 

\--

 

“How much longer til the pizza is done?” asked Parz as he sat on a chair, glancing towards Swabby as the flame cleaned up the kitchen while simultaneously watching the pizza bake within the oven through the tinted window.

 

“Maybe another fifteen minutes or so,” Swabby chuckled. “Cooking takes time, Parz,” he reminded him. “...Maybe that's the reason Fellby is so bad at it,” he thought out loud, giggling slightly.

 

Parz let out a half snorting giggle himself. “Don't tell him this okay? But yeah, his cooking is really bad,” agreed Parz, red eyes glimmering amused.

 

Swabby had to laugh. “My lips are sealed,” he promised.

If even Parz, who worshiped the ground before Fellby’s feet, could see it then his cooking really had to be terrible!

“We are kitchen-buddies now. What is told in the kitchen stays in the kitchen,” Swabby added, winking. “But yeah, Fellby's cooking is bad... I never seen anything like it before,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Honestly, I think Grillby still has nightmares from the state of his kitchen then...”

 

Parz giggled a tiny bit causing Swabby to smile brightly, glad that the little skeleton was having such fun.

Swabby put the last bowl away and sat down in the chair opposite of Parz, looking at him whilst keeping an eye on the pizza. “Could you imagine Fellby and Suny cooking together?” he asked, grinning widely. “Fellby has a huge sweet tooth... They would create the sweetest abomination! Something like… a chocolate ice-cream pizza!”

 

Parz shuttered at that, no doubt the image of all that sugar bothering him. “But it would be like the last time...”

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Swabby, shuttering at the memory. “You were very brave for trying some... but please don't eat Fellby's cooking when it seems to be alive the next time. Okay?”

 

Parz nodded readily to that, bones rattling as if remembering the taste. “I won't,” he insisted. “Never again.”

 

“Good.” Swabby shared a little giggle with Parz before standing to check on the pizza.

 

“Are you and Uncle Fellby friends?” Parz asked abruptly.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Are you and Uncle Fellby friends?” repeated Parz.

 

“We are family,” Swabby stated. “Why do you ask?”

 

“I don't know,” Parz mumbled. “You fight sometimes and then Fellby goes away and... and…” Parz trailed off, looking towards the ground. “You fought really bad after… when the bad man came back…”

 

Swabby paused completely, he had hoped that the children had not heard their heated argument. “Parz,” he begun, coming over to Parz and crouched down in front of him so that he could look the boy in the eyes. “Fellby and I... yes, we disagree on a few things. We are two very different flames with very different experiences and sometimes it's hard to see each other’s point of view but that doesn't mean that we don't like each other… We are still family and, as far as I’m concerned, Fellby is my friend too.”

 

“What if you stop being friends one day?”

 

Swabby blinked. “I don't think we will just stop being friends.”

 

“What if?” pressed Parz. “Will Uncle Fellby just... disappear?”

 

Swabby pulled Parz close, hugging the tiny skeleton gently. “No. Never,” he whispered. “Uncle Fellby loves you all so much. Don't ever doubt that. He would NEVER just disappear... And, even if he is sometimes difficult, Grillby and I love Fellby just like you and your brothers so there is no way we would let him just disappear.”

 

“So you and Uncle Fellby are still friends?”

 

“We never stopped being friends,” Swabby answered softly. “We… had a fight, yes, but we always make up afterwards. Besides, there is no way I would just let this silly flame stop being a part of my family just like that!”

 

“Promise?”

  
“Family sticks together… through thick and thin.”

 

“It’s a little weird…”

  
“Well,” Swabby hummed, “we’re a bit of a strange family so that makes everything okay… After all, a pizza is only interesting with the parts in it that usually don't go together, huh?”

 

Parz just smiled a bit and nodded.

 

\--

 

It did not take long after that for the pizza to finish cooking.

They quickly gathered the others into the kitchen where the pizza was ruled a success by all.

 

Swabby was sure not everybody saw the happy and proud look on Parz’ face as they praised the food.

Sans even declared it “blissful eating” considering it had tomatoes and something similar to ketchup on it.

“It’s not ketchup,” Parz corrected him with a pout. “It’s sauce.”  
“Taste like ketchup to me,” giggle Sans.  
Parz puffed out his cheeks in a manner Suny usually did but did not argue further.

 

Saz and Parz seemed happy to eat the pizza and Swabby felt so relieved by this fact. Even now there were days when both of them would have trouble eating certain foods... They ate, sure, but usually looked as though they were forcing themselves to do so... Not now, in any case.

 

“Can we do this again?” Parz’ tiny voice cut into Swabby’s thoughts.

 

Swabby glanced towards the skeleton, blinking in confusion. “I’m sorry?”

 

“Uh,” Parz hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Can I um… cook with you more?”

 

“You want to cook with me?”

 

Parz gave a heartfelt nod. “Yeah, I really liked making pizza!”

 

Swabby’s heart felt as though it had just melt. “Of course you can.”

It was good for the kids to have something for their selves after all.

 

“Can you make deserts too?” asked Suny, eyes shining. “Like pie?”

 

Swabby chuckled at the question. “We could try... We just have to lay off a bit on the sugar.”

 

“What about pudding then?” Suny pressed, looking a bit disappointed that the sugar had to be reduced.

 

“Pudding is rather easy to make,” answered Swabby looking towards the smallest child. “What is it, Suny? Are you still hungry?”

 

“No! I'm just thinking of stuff we can make for Uncle Fellby when he gets back!”

 

Swabby blinked at that whilst Grillby chuckled.

 

“You should make him pie, Uncle Swabby,” agreed Sans.

 

“Yeah! Maybe if we fatten him up then he won't be able to leave!” replied Suny seriously.

 

“Suny!” laughed Pyru beside him, unable to control himself. “Where did you get that from?”

 

“Oh stars, we have to tell him that,” giggled Swabby. “Fellby won't ever get over this.”

 

“Well if he gets fat then he won't be able to fit through the door,” huffed Suny. “Stop laughing!”

 

However, instead of listening, Grillby and Swabby both broke out into laughter joining the others.

 

“That... that is true,” giggled out Grillby, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. “Oh my stars.”

 

“Wait,” muttered Sans, stopping his laughing fit for a moment. “Can flames even get fat?”

 

Pyru stopped laughing as well and blinked. “I don't know,” he hummed thoughtfully. “Wait, can WE get fat?”

 

Sans frowned, seemingly thinking hard on the matter. “Good question...”

 

“But... we can't make him fat,” mumbled Saz. “Uncle Fellby is supposed to play with us in the snow…”

 

“Hmmm,” Suny hummed. “Then we'd have to bring the snow inside!”

 

“But Grillby is here so the snow would melt!” protested Sans.

 

Swabby chucked softly. “Yes, no snow inside, Suny,” he informed the boy.

 

“Suny, I don't think that’s a good plan,” mumbled Saz.

Suny huffed and poofed out his cheeks.

 

“Maybe we can get Uncle Fellby to play some board games with us,” muttered Papyrus after a moment of thought.

 

“That would be nice,” agreed Saz quietly.

 

Grillby chuckled, covering his mouth. “Just not chess.”

 

“Huh?” asked Saz, looking towards the flame elemental. “Why not?”

 

“Fellby plays by very different rules,” Grillby answered, a fond expression upon his face.

 

Swabby made a mental note to ask his cousin about it later, perhaps once the boys were settled in bed. “First he has to come back,” he reminded the children.

 

“We can sit on him,” offered Sans. “Then he can't leave.”

 

“Chess,” mumbled Parz suddenly. “That’s the one with the black and white pieces right?”

 

“Yeah,” Papyrus nodded. “And it has the king and queen and um... uh.... ponds...”

 

“Pawns, Papyrus,” corrected Grillby.

 

“Can we all play it?” Suny inquired.

 

“Well, you can only play it with two people so, sadly, no.”

 

“Then…” Suny begun, looking towards Grillby interested. “How can you play with different rules?”

 

Grillby chuckled again, shaking his head slightly. “He just does.”

 

“Knowing him, he cheats,” added Swabby grinning.

 

“I supposed you could call it cheating,” Grillby replied as if deep in thought. “If he plays by rules only he knows without informing you of such…”

 

“Uncle Fellby wouldn't cheat!” protested Parz with a pout.

 

Saz nodded in agreement to his brother’s statement. “Yeah, Uncle Fellby isn’t a cheater!”

Grillby petted each of them on the skull. “If you say so.” His smile broadened when Parz stood still, accepting his touch.

 

After dinner, it was clear that the children were all still tired from the day. They sat together and watched Mettaton’s television show with the flames.

Swabby was unsure of what exactly was happening in the show and wondered how the children could even follow the twisted plotlines.

Afterwards Grillby carried Sans, Saz and Pyru upstairs to their room, the three skeletons having fell asleep while watching the show.

Swabby herded Papyrus, Parz and Suny towards their bedroom behind his cousin.

They tucked the children in together before Grillby took a seat on the edge of the bed and began the bedtime story.

 

Swabby watched Grillby as he continued to tale. His cousin looked so happy and content… Not that it was unusual just... he somehow only noticed it now. He was a far cry from the shaken up, nightmare-ridden flame Swabby gotten to know so many years previous. Only one thought entered his mind at the scene:

Grillby made a good father for them.

 

Swabby went to bed with the intention of telling Grillby his musing in the morning.

 

-

 

The next morning was similar to the previous one. The flames woke the children up together and all sat down to eat breakfast only on this day, Swabby came with them as they made their way to school, huddled up in his best coat and as close to Grillby as possible without being carried by the taller monster.

 

“Are you still alright?” Grillby inquired worriedly near the halfway mark to the school.

 

Swabby nodded and huddled closer to him. It was a lot colder than he thought, even if the storm had lessened in intensity during the night.

 

Grillby wrapped an arm around the smaller elemental, pulling him a bit closer.

 

Swabby allowed himself to lean into his friend a bit more.

 

“Uncle Swabby?” asked a very concerned looking Pyru.

 

Swabby smiled at him. “I am fine, little one,” he assured. “See? Grillby keeps me warm.”

 

“The angel is the best,” Sans said with a nod.

 

Luckily, the walk to the school was over rather quickly.

 

There were hugs, laughter and promises to be good as the children parted way with their guardians.

Grillby and Swabby spoke with Snowtail, asking her to excuse Saz and Parz from having to sign during their last class due to complications.

 

Swabby gave a final wave to the boys before shutting the classroom door behind himself then, with a small sigh, headed towards Grillbys side-by-side with his cousin whom the place was named.

 

Swabby ended up camping out in the kitchen near the oven with a warm cup of tea in his hands. He rather liked his cousin’s bar, it was homely and comfortable. He stepped away from the oven a few times in order to join the growing crowd in the main room, chatting with some regulars though, for the main part, Swabby was content to help Grillby in the kitchen. ‘Life is good,’ thought Swabby as he sipped his tea, smiling as he watched Grillby make scrambled eggs for a late riser in the bar.

Life was really, really good.

 

 

-

 

Meanwhile, Fellby was swearing and cursing Grillby for living in Snowdin as he hoped off of the River Person’s boat and made his way towards said monster’s home.

Fucking cold-as-hell Snowdin.

He kind of understood why Grillby had to live here but damn it all he was cold and hungry and hadn't slept in three days, not to mention that the weeks before he slept horribly… He had every right to be cranky!

 

Crashing at his cousin’s place and stealing his couch, perhaps even convince Swabby to make him something to eat and steal one or two of the kids to cuddle with sounded wonderful at the moment. That or raiding Grillby's bathing oil… An oil bath sounded godly right now!

 

If he could just get out of this fucking cold!

 

He felt relief pooling around his soul as when he saw the house lights appearing through the whirling snow, not too far away. Fellby tugged his coat a bit tighter around himself, the smell of the soap that Swabby used the last time he had washed it had almost faded completely in time he spent away…

 

Fellby shivered lightly, his feet feeling as if the flames down there were lowered too red but he did not care, he had promised the kids he’d come back after all. He walked a bit faster, almost there.

 

He still could not believe that Grillby gave him a key to his house. Was he stupid or something? Everyone in the underground knew Fellby was a thief yet his cousin let him stay so willingly… even insisted on him being named a guardian for the brats!

 

He came closer to the home, frowning when he noticed how dark the house looked. No lights shined from within, the porch’s lamp being the only illuminance.

Well, Grillby was most likely out working and Swabby... maybe he was just doing the wash so his flames couldn't be seen through the kitchen and living room windows?

 

Fellby hurried the last few steps to the veranda and fumbled the door open in slight panic.

 

Silence greeted him.

 

“I'M BACK,” he shouted.

 

There was no answer.

No tiny skeletons came running up to him.

No yellow flame called out to him.

No orange flame come out of any door to greet him or ask him a million questions.

 

Nothing…

 

“HELLO?” he asked again, becoming nervous. “BRATS? GRILLS? WHERE ARE YOU?” He stepped inside, not bothering to remove his boots.

 

The kitchen and living room were empty.

There was no one in the laundry room or living room.

 

“CANDLE?” he called and he stepped up the stairs, his soul beating with panic.

 

They... they couldn't be gone. He just spoke with them yesterday! Surely, everything was fine... Grillby would never be cruel enough to demand him to come home just for...

 

For moving and leaving him behind...

 

No, he wouldn't. Swabby wouldn't either. Not that the kids would ever let them do such.

 

Though… maybe he found out about Saz' tooth finally?

Fellby shook his head. That happened over a year ago!

Did his cousin find out about the stuff he did in Hotland?

No, no he couldn’t have… and even if he did, Grillby would at least talk with him about it!

 

“GRILLBY? SWABBY?” he called out again, trying to hide his panic and failing. “KIDS? SAZ? PARZ?”

 

Grillby’s bedroom was empty.

 

“PYRU? SUNY?”

 

Swabby’s bedroom was empty.

 

“SANS? PAPYRUS?”

 

The children’s bedroom was empty.

 

“Any… anybody?” he called again, his voice beginning to crack.

 

The bathroom was cold and empty.

 

“...please?”

 

The entire house was empty. Nobody was there.

It took all Fellby had to not out-right panic though some thoughts still made it though.

 

Did he mess up?

Did they move?

Did something happened to them?

Was Gaster not dusted as they thought?

Did somebody get hurt?

 

_Was somebody dust...?_

 

Had he lost everything again? Was he alone once more?

 

Another thought began to eat at the back of his mind.

What if there was really no one there to begin with?

What if everything was just a dream, another attempt to escape that horrible place? Was he simply trapped within his own mind, everything being some stupid fantasy of a family who loved him, of kindness and warmth and light and everything else he desperately wanted but…

 

No.

There was no way.

None of those dreams lasted more than a day… and they were never as detailed as all of the crap he had to deal with in the last… however many years it had been since Hotland was first built, not that he could actually remember half of it himself.

 

He shoved all his thoughts aside, trying to stay calm.

 

He was standing in Grillby's house. There were photos and things belonging to the children scattered around.

 

He just talked to them the day before... The kids said they were at Grillby's...

 

Grillbys!

 

Grillby was most likely working so if anything happened or if… if…

 

He stormed down the stairs and hastily pulled on his coat as he ran out of the house, towards the bar in the center of Snowdin.

 

He did not care about the cold anymore, he couldn’t even feel its bite.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again thank you for all the comments, Kudos, Likes and Reblogs. Remember, you can also ask us stuff on our tumblrs, we usually answer stuff. ^^ Also, you can find the questions we answered already there too. ^^
> 
> Also: There was a question about the timeline of the story. As you have noticed, we jump around a lot sometimes. We will see if we can put together a timeline for the chapters. I don't know how and when, but soon I think. 
> 
> Again, thanks and we hope you continue to enjoy the story. ^^


	21. The Path to the Future – School Day Jitters  Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fellby is back and spends some time at Grillby's.

 

 

 

The bar was rather quiet and Grillby liked it that way. The regulars were all there along with a few strangers mixed in, tourists from Waterfall and Hotland who wanted to warm up. There was a nice, calming background noise from their chatters and talks and Grillby fell quickly into his comfortable routine of serving and minding his business.

He checked up on Swabby regularly, making sure that the younger flame was comfortable and warm within the kitchen but for the most part Grillby stood behind his bar, a feeling of content and happiness filling him like a hot drink.

 

He loved his bar. He loved being in this line of work.

He loved seeing how the dogs laughed whilst played cards, how Dogaressa and Dogamy were holding hands and blushing a bit each time their eyes met, he loved seeing how a kind cat-monster listened to Drunken Bunny's rambling, he loved seeing his other regulars sharing stories with the newcomers.

 

He saw so many things in his bar. Love and friendship, happy people with families.

He witnessed Snowdin evolve slowly with his bar becoming a social gathering point.

 

He loved the people of Snowdin for accepting him, for not pressuring him and taking his silence not for weakness but something that was just him.

 

It was peaceful.

 

Or rather it had been until the door was kicked open and a very agitated blue flame stormed inside.

 

“GRILLBY,” Fellby shouted, violet flickering at the tips of his flames.

 

Everyone stopped what they were doing, the bar going eerily quiet as the patrons turned to stare at the angry monster.

 

It took Fellby a moment to spot Grillby amongst the crowd though as soon as he did, he automatically came over to him, reaching over the bar to grab hold of his shirt and balling his hands within the pristine fabric and, after failing in pulling Grillby closer to him, leaned closer to Grillby himself.

 

Grillby was more than surprised. He had not expected Fellby to return so soon nor could he understand the reason why his cousin appeared so... livid.

 

“WHERE ARE THEY?”, Fellby screamed at him.

 

Grillby blinked, not understanding the shouted question. He gently placed his hand on Fellby's shoulder in an effort to calm him. “Who?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

 

“YOU KNOW WHO,” raged Fellby. “ANSWER ME, DAMN IT.”, he screamed again, his voice cracking and breaking a bit. There was a noticeable tremble in it too.

 

Grillby blinked again. Fellby sounded terrified. Scratch that, he was close enough to see Fellby's eyes behind his glasses, wide and bright and very much terrified. It would take more than a few whispered words to sort all of this, whatever  _this_ was, out. “Come,” he whispered to Fellby.

 

Fellby, however, did not react, still blind sighted by his fear and rage, still simply holding on Grillby and trembling slightly.

 

Grillby sighed softly before reaching out and effortlessly lifting the blue flame over the counter, nudging him towards the kitchen.

 

“Ack!” yelped Fellby as he was lifted up, the violet on his face darkening. “Grills! Don't do that!”

 

Grillby just nudged him again. “You are... upset,” he whispered. “Why?”

 

Fellby growled, slapping away Grillby's hands. “Of course I'm fucking upset,” he hissed out. “Where are they?”

 

“Who do you mean?” Grillby questioned, voice still nothing more than a faint whisper.

 

But again, Fellby didn't answer. He just made an angry noise, his flames flickering angryly.

 

Grillby made a silent frustrated noise. This wouldn't do… they had to be able to talk and yet Fellby was not getting the hint. His cousin could be really frustrating at times.

Luckily there were solutions for every problem.

With one quick movement, he picked Fellby up and moved him through the doors into the kitchen, letting it close behind them.

 

“You mean the children?” he asked, voice instantly gaining more volume as soon as they were away from the crowd. “They are currently in school.”

 

“Put me down ya baaaaa-“ his words paused in his throat as if just registering what Grillby had said. “SCHOOL?!? WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING THERE FOR?!?,” Fellby cried out, struggling more.

 

Grillby gently lowered Fellby, making sure his cousin had good balance before letting go completely. “Learning,” he answered simply. “We spoke about this.”

 

“YOU DIDN'T SAY NOW,” Fellby protested, his voice cracking with full-blown hysteria.

 

“When did you think this would be?” Grillby questioned a bit irritated. “I DID tell you that their first day at school was yesterday.”

 

“LIKE... FUCK I DON'T KNOW,” ranted Fellby, throwing his arms up in the air. “NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER OR... or... something...” The yelling faded to mumbles as Fellby deflated, his natural blue hue overtaking completely again. “And I thought it'd be... at your home,” he continued more subdued. “The house was empty...”

 

Something in Grillby melted like butter. “Fellby,” he sighed deeply, placing his hands on Fellby's shoulders, forcing the younger flame to look at him. “It's alright. I too don't want them out of my sight but we can't continue to... hide them away,” he explained. “They are safe now. No Gaster, no nightmare in the shadows waiting. They should... interact with others, learn different things from other people. The school here in Snowdin is very good and I spoke with the teachers so they know that the boys went through some... heavy stuff. They have fun there,” he said, smiling a bit at the memory of the children’s excitement after their first day. “In a few hours I will go to pick them up so that they can have lunch. They will be thrilled to see you back.”

 

“As if those stupid bunnies would know what to do,” grumbled Fellby, crossing his arms and pouting.

 

It was so heartbreakingly familiar. “Some of them are snowdrakes,” Grillby corrected. “And they do. And they will tell me if there is a problem... as would the children,” he added, smiling a tiny bit. “Want to come with me when I pick them up?”

 

“Why couldn't you and Swabby do it at home?”

 

“I told you already, we can't teach them everything. They _need_ to go out and make some friends too,” he answered patiently. “We can't hide them away forever, Fellby.”

 

“Of course you could,” the blue flame protested weakly. “The two of you are already reading books and crap...”

 

“Fellby, that is not a wholesome education. We spoke about this,” he reminded him, sighing once more.

 

He understood. He did not want to let go either… He was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the children in the care of a stranger and did not want them to be out of his sight, especially with what happened with Gaster. However he knew that it was not healthy and wouldn’t be right. It was wrong to keep the children from having a childhood, to keep them trapped inside and deny them friends and education. It was wrong putting the children's needs behind that of his own...

 

“You didn't say shit about this,” grumbled Fellby.

  
“We did and you agreed,” replied Grillby with another sigh. “Fellby, they need this… They won’t just forget about you. You heard them yesterday.”

 

“I _agreed_ to years from now.”

“Fellby, they would be adults by then.”

“Who fucking cares?”

“Why are you so against this?”

“Ugh,” grunted Fellby. “Why the hell do you think?”

 

Grillby took a good, long look at his cousin. Fellby was shaking though it was not from anger or cold… he could always recognize when Fellby was afraid of something, even if his cousin refused to admit it. He suddenly reached down and pulled the smaller flame into a hug, holding him close without words. If he was wrong, at least he’d be able to warm him up like this.

 

Fellby squirmed a bit in the hug but not enough to actually break free. “Get the fuck off me and go get my kids back,” he ordered though there was barley any strength behind his word as he relaxed into the hug.

 

“No,” stated Grillby. “They still have two hours left.” He gently pet over Fellby’s back, chuckling lightly. “And to quote Swabby, ‘you need a hug’… so tell me why you are afraid?”

 

Fellby tensed in his hold a bit and looked away from him.

 

“I don't need a hug,” argued Fellby, “and I'm not afraid.”, he added, if a bit weakly.

 

“Then just talk to me. Why are you so insistent on collecting the children now? They are safe in school… and Gaster is no longer a threat.”

 

“I don't fucking care.”

 

“What’s going on.”

 

“Nothing’s going on,” growled Fellby. Grillby didn't said anything just yet, just watched Fellby who fell silent for a few seconds

“Where’s my damn pie by the way?” he demanded suddenly causing Grillby to blink in surprise at the sudden change of topic.

 

“I think that was my cue to come in, huh?” A chuckle came from behind them and Swabby's bright flames illuminated the room as he came around the corner. “Your pie is at home.” He stated before promptly hugging Fellby too. “And now you get a hug from me too.”

“I DON'T WANT A FUCKING HUG!”

 

“Sorry but you need a hug and you get two,” chuckled Grillby, not letting go.

 

“Yep,” agreed Swabby. “Besides you were gone a long while... You missed their first day,” he scolded.

 

“I didn't know it was their first day!” exclaimed Fellby. “You bastards tricked me!”

 

“I didn't trick you,” protested Swabby. “I even reminded you when you went out.”

 

“I marked the date on the calendar in the kitchen,” added Grillby.

 

Fellby glared first at Grillby then at Swabby.

 

Swabby gave him a flat look before chuckling a tiny bit. “You didn't listen to me and forgot, huh?.”

 

“How the hell was I supposed to know what that circle meant? And as if I ever even look at that fucking calendar.”

 

“You could have asked,” Grillby stated.

 

“Why are you now so grumpy?” questioned Swabby. “You agreed to them going to school.”

 

“I didn't agree to leaving the house!”

 

“You did,” Grillby reminded him. “You even told me that one of us had to bring them to school every day and that they should eat at the bar because you ‘don’t trust the lunch there’. “

 

“Grillby did it because of the storm yesterday,” added Swabby.

 

“I... I didn't mean now,” mumbled Fellby a bit weaker. “I thought there was still time...”

 

“We can't shelter them forever,” whispered Grillby.

 

“Yeah... they needed to get out and meet some other kids their age. And they are having fun,” continued Swabby. “Parz even thinks about joining the cooking club.”

 

“They don't need other kids,” Fellby grumbles.

 

Grillby shakes his head. “They do.”

 

“They have to learn how to function in society,” added Swabby. “Otherwise they would never learn and never can do... anything. They need to learn a lot of stuff that we just... can't give them.”

 

“Why do you want to keep them at home? We hid them because of Gaster... but Gaster is gone now,” Grillby reminded him gently. He felt both Swabby and Fellby shiver at the words, both of them looking at each other for a moment before Fellby turned his gaze away.

 

“What’s so grand about society?” Fellby grumbled out. “Completely useless crap.”

 

“We kind of live in it, you dork,” snorted Swabby, giving Fellby a gentle headbutt.

 

“The kids should have the chance of a normal life,” added Grillby.

“Fuck having normal lives,” grumbled Fellby. “They've never had one and they never will.”

 

“We still should try, Fellby,” Grillby stated. “We owe them that.”

 

“Besides, they are having fun. Do you really want to take this away from them?”

 

“How the hell would you know?”

 

“They told me of course,” chuckled Swabby.

 

“They could have been lying!” protested Fellby.

 

“You can ask them yourself,” said Grillby softly. “You can come with me when I pick them up later, okay?”

 

“And they are not lying,” Swabby pouted. “They are fine.”

 

“Fuck no!” Fellby began squirming again in their grip. “Let me go, already!”

 

“Only when you’ve calmed down,” stated Grillby.

 

“You haven't reached full feeling-better-through-hugs yet,” chuckled Swabby happily.

 

“Who says I want to?” hissed Fellby in return.

 

“Just relax already.”

 

“Don't tell me what to do, candle,” huffed Fellby, struggling in their embrace for a while longer before finally giving a deep sigh and flopping fully against Grillby, half pulling Swabby with him from the action. “I was promised pie,” he half-whined half pouted.

It was a stark contrast from his panic and hysterics so Grillby booked it as a victory.

 

Swabby chuckled. “You'll get it okay? The kids made a whole LIST of things I got to make for you.”

 

“They missed you a lot,” Grillby informed the blue flame.

 

“Of course they did, I'm not as boring as the two of you,” huffed Fellby, the usual playfulness back to his voice much to Grillby's delight.

 

“Who are you calling boring, huh?” chuckled Swabby. “You were gone for weeks!”

 

“The kids ask for Swabby just the same as for you,” Grillby corrected gently. “You want to wait here whilst I get them?”

 

“What about your customers?”

 

“I can leave the bar for a bit,” explained Grillby. “It's quiet.” That and he had the guard dogs to look after the place.

 

“And I am here too,” Swabby chipped in.

 

Fellby blinked at that, turning to Swabby as if seeing him just now for the first time. “Yeah, how the fuck did the candle make it all the way out here?”

 

“He insisted on coming today…”

 

“It's boring being alone at home,” mumbled Swabby.

 

“I kept him warm until we got here.”

 

“AND I am fine,” Swabby huffed.

 

Grillby could feel Fellby’s eyes on him and lowered his own gaze to meet the look. “You know him, he is stubborn… like someone else I know.”

 

“I am fine,” Swabby repeated. “You kept me safe.”

 

“At least it's warm in here,” mumbled Fellby quietly, almost as if talking to himself.

 

“I plan on taking Swabby and the children home together later.”

 

Swabby huffed a bit at the statement.

 

Fellby turned to Swabby, grinning mockingly. “Well you could walk yourself, candle.”

 

“I could,” huffed Swabby.

 

“You could,” Grillby hums out. “But you shouldn't.”

 

Fellby chuckled a bit as Swabby huffed out again before noticing the look Grillby was giving him. “What?”

 

“If you don't come with me, stay here and let Swabby hug you.”

 

“Can't I do neither?” asked Fellby flatly.

 

Grillby felt himself grinning a tiny bit. “Nope.”

 

“Nope,” agreed Swabby, grinning cat-like and hugging Fellby a bit tighter to himself. “Besides you are warm.”

 

“Ugh,” Fellby groaned out, looking up to the bartender. “Grills, he's just doing it to leech heat off me!”

 

“No, I just wanna give you a hug.”

 

“Grills!”

 

“Fellby, you are standing in a warm kitchen,” chuckled Grillby, shaking his head lightly before reaching out at tapping the blue flame on the forehead. “I don’t believe you’ll easily grow cold like this.”

 

Fellby gave a tiny growl. “Then same goes for him!”

 

Swabby just chuckled at the growl and for a few moments, nothing happened. They stayed like this, hugging each other for a bit before Fellby started squirming again.

 

“Come on guys, I’m starving here,” Fellby whined out.

 

Grillby couldn’t help but to notice that his cousin looked bit thinner than usual along with the fact that he felt much lighter while hugging…

 

“The pie isn’t ready yet,” told Swabby, “but go sit and I’ll be sure to give you a heaping helping when its finished.”

 

Grillby returned to the front of his bar while Swabby took over his kitchen to bake the promised cinnamon-apple pie.

 

Fellby followed him out, sitting down at the bar and watched him handing out food and drinks to customers. “How long to the kids get back?” he asked after a while.

 

“Two hours,” Grillby repeated quietly.

 

Fellby groaned, “Ugh why do they have to stay there so long?” as he slumped over the counter of the bar, grumpily reaching out for the little bowl of hard candies Grillby kept on the corner. He easily munched on them while Grillby served the remaining customers.

 

It really was a rather quiet day with the regulars and a few strangers, most likely from New Home.

Grillby served them drinks and listened in to their gossip.

Apparently, something had happened in Hotland that had all the guards in a frenzy. Grillby couldn't help but to glance towards Fellby at that bit of information. He really wished that a) it was not about the trouble his cousin had gotten into and b) that Fellby would one day learn how to stay out of said trouble.

 

However, his cousin was still sulking causing Grillby to feel responsible. It really must have been frightening for him to come home to an empty house... He knew how much the children meant to the younger elemental.

 

Regardless, Swabby would finish the pie soon which should cheer him up. Added to the hugs he received earlier… Grillby made a silent vow to himself to keep an eye on his cousin from now on.

 

Fellby seemed to do fine for a while, just watching the interactions of the bar and glancing towards him every once in a while. Though he still looked tired...

Grillby wondered, not for the first time, if Fellby really was joking or not when he said that the couch was a better sleeping option than what he usually had… H worried a lot over the flame. He just wished that Fellby would allow him to help more…

 

Fellby, meanwhile, was bored out of his fucking skull. Seriously, there was NOTHING to do here and the jukebox kept playing the same song. Well, the songs were different but they all had the exact same tone. He could not figure out why Grillby would want to listen to this trash all day! Still, not annoying enough to get up and waste a perfectly good gold coin on changing it.

 

In any case, there was no real entertainment and the kids would not be back for some time... not to mention that Swabby was taking his damn time with that pie. The hard candies just weren’t that filling on an empty stomach.

 

Still, Fellby was relieved. Everything was fine. Everything was still here and in place like it should be. Just... not quite at the right place. But fuck, really, he thought he had still time. At least a few more days. Or weeks. Maybe months…

The kids couldn't possibly be ready for school! Hell, he wasn't ready for them to be ready for school! School meant growing up and eventually leaving…

 

Couldn’t they just stay little and adorable forever?

 

They were already growing quickly and Fellby had to admit he was afraid that he’d come in one day to discover the kids either didn’t recognize him or just didn’t want to have any more to do with him...

Fuck, he did not mean to stay away for this long but after the whole Gaster ordeal and his fight with Swabby, he just needed... some time to think and get his head clear.

Then stuff happened.

 

When the children called the day before he knew he fucked up.

Again.

What the fuck was he even doing in Hotland when there were six little people that actually wanted him around? He knew he was a fucking coward but, still, he wasn't THAT bad.

 

And Grillby... well...

 

He still waited for the other shoe to drop, to be honest. You just don’t GET things, life simply does not work that way but, lately, it just... seemed as though that was how things were... With Grillby and Swabby and the kids and… everything. It was weird and-

 

Ugh he really wished that he could stop thinking so much on the matter! It really did nothing more than give him a major headache.

 

Another monster took a seat next to him, pulling Fellby from his thoughts.

Fellby scanned him over automatically out of the corner of his eyes. It was one of those Wizard-like monsters from New Home. Fellby did not like their type. Most of them were jerks, thinking they were oh-so-magical and mysterious. Best he ignore him.

Instead his eyes settled once more on Grillby who just resumed his spot behind the counter.

 

His cousin looked happy… Orange-red flames flickering gently, his gaze focused on the task at hand, movements sure and confident. And he was wearing his uniform rather... nicely...

 

Fellby blinked, looking him over again. Grillby was not wearing anything different than from when he was at home, seemingly he just added a black vest and bowtie but somehow that made all the difference. Damn he never realized how toned Grillby was... not to mention he looked good in a suit.

 

Grillby was... well he was handsome but that did not really summon it up... Beautiful did not do it justice either. He was... he looked... well...

 

Oh stars, no. He was NOT thinking that.

He just spent too much time with Muffet and her gushing over some guy she found attractive… or something. That had to be the case!

 

The monster beside him made his order and Grillby quickly placed the glass and a plate of fries in front of them, nodding silently.

 

Fellby tried to concentrate on willing the violet blush he was developing away.

This was Grillby! He was an idiot and a total bore. He was handsome for a flame, sure, but still… it was just Grillby! UGH.

 

“Thank you,” spoke the monster beside him in an echoey voice that was already grating on Fellby’s nerves. “Wow, your food really is amazing,” he continued after eating a single fry. “So, are you the owner?”

 

Grillby did a single nod as he began wiping out the glasses.

 

Come to think about it, Fellby wondered why his cousin was so silent in the bar… Or everywhere outside of his home? Really he only seemed to speak to himself, Swabby and the kids… Maybe it was just a part of his image? He heard him talking in the laboratory after all too. So who knows really?

 

“Good drinks too,” continued the monster, his smile audible to Fellby even when he was trying his best to ignore the conversation. “It was a good idea coming here for vacation.”

 

Grillby raised an eyebrow at the comment.

Fellby barely kept himself from snorting. It was obvious that Grills did not want to have a part the conversation and was only polite so why couldn’t this guy just shut the hell up already.

 

“Oh, somebody told me to visit Grillby's because it is really good.”

 

Fellby finally turned his head a little to look at the monster.

It really was a Madjick, a semi humanoid monster with strong magic, shrouded in a purple robe with a big rimed hat. He was rather tall for his species and wore a grin which Fellby genuinely did not like.

 

“I guess they were right, it is pretty good here,” they continued, looking up towards Grillby. “Nice to look at too.”

 

Fellby felt himself getting even more annoyed at the monster. Ugh, couldn’t they just shut up and go away?

 

Grillby remained silent, giving a tiny shrug as he continued to clean the tiny glasses before him.

 

The monster ordered another drink which was quickly filled.

Fellby wished Grillby would make him a drink too, he was really starting to feel the need for one. A real drink of course, not the weak shit his cousin usually served here.

 

“I am from the capitol,” the Madjick continued.

 

COULDN'T THEY GET A HINT?

 

“It's pretty neat there but I like the charm of a small town like this. Peaceful, even if it's a bit cold… It's good to know there is a place to warm up.”

 

Grillby gave another silent nod.

 

Fellby became even more annoyed. What the fuck were they going on about? Of course it was cold as fuck in Snowdin and obviously a bar owned by a fire elemental would be fucking warm.

 

“Are you the only employee?”

 

Was this twenty questions or something? Every word out of this monster’s mouth was making him angrier.

 

Grillby just nodded again.

 

“I bet the work is hard, huh? Hope you got some time to relax… Have a good time and all?”

 

Grillby gave a small shrug. He was fine with the way things were.

 

Fellby let out a snort. Grillby was a workaholic, everybody knew that. The only reason his cousin even came home at all was because of the brats. Seriously though, what was up with this monster? He glanced towards the Madjick. Were they HITTING on Grills? If that was the case… Why the fuck was his cousin so damn calm about this?!?

 

“So... you ever in the Capitol?” asked the Madjick, leaning over the bar and winking from under their hat. “It's splendid there. It can be a bit expensive but the MTT resort is very classy. You should visit it someday.”

 

“Ugh,” slipped out before Fellby could stop himself. Just how the hell did that box get so damned popular?!? His shows, at least what he's seen via force by the boys, were not even remotely watchable! Besides that, he had SEEN the resort and it was tacky as hell. Not to mention that the food tasted like shit.

 

“I know some guys there,” boasted the Madjick. “Usually it's totally booked out but, if you want, I can get you in,” they continued with a wink.

 

Holy shit, they were really flirting with Grillby!

And Grillby just shrugged? Wait... did he even notice? Well, he couldn't NOT, could he?

LUCKILY some other monster ordered a drink, pulling Grillby's attention away from them.

 

Grillby turned around to reach for one of the bottles on the back shelf.

 

Fellby legitimately did not like where the eyes of the other monster strayed. Sparks of purple flared through his flames as he watched them.

 

“So, got any free time coming up?” the monster asked when Grillby finished making the drink for the other costumer.

 

Grillby gave another small shrug.

 

Fellby felt another rush of jealousy flare through his body. Why hadn’t his cousin just told the guy off? Or at the very least say NO?!?

  
“Well,” the Madjick pressed, getting out a slip of paper and writing down his phone number. “Give me a call,” they paused here, winking. “I could show you around.”

 

Oh hell no! Fellby had enough.

Before Grillby could get a good look at the number, the paper burst into dark blue flames, quickly turning to ash.

 

Grillby gave his cousin a look but did not say anything about the deed.

Fellby couldn’t help but to feel rather happy about that.

The Madjick blinks in shocked, looking towards Fellby. “Did you just...?”

 

Fellby gave a smirk, not bothering to reply. This was his turf after all. Suck it, loser!

 

Grillby was not upset, however. He was rather amused and curious about his cousin’s behavior, coming over to stand before the blue flame.

 

There was a moment of silent communication.

Grillby looked between Fellby and the remains of the paper whilst Fellby just tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

Him, jealous? No way. As if Grillby would ever do anything with such a loser. Besides, he already had himself! And the brats and candle too, Fellby supposed in afterthought. Still… his cousin was…

 

What was Grillby exactly? He was still his cousin or whatever. He used to be his best friend, his protector… Hell even his fantasy of a hero who kept all evil away when the humans were tormenting him. Now he was just... family and... and…

 

He was just  _his_ ! He would put a name to it at some other point but Grillby was still his just as much as the brats were his and, as much as he disliked to admit it, Swabby was his too. He wouldn't allow some loser from New Home to come and take them away from him!

 

A loud thunk sound got him out of his thoughts as a bright yellowy orange drink was placed before him. Fellby glanced at the drink for a moment before turning his attention back to Grillby who was already moving his hands in the weird signs.

 

“Uh... No prob,” muttered the monster next to him, glancing his way.

 

Fellby frowned. Grillby must have spoken in hands, he hated when he did that.

 

“Well uerm,” the Madjick mumbled seeming losing their groove.

 

Grillby waited for a moment before turning around and leaving through the back door.

 

Fellby gave a devilish grin. Hehe, served this jerk right. He picked up the odd colored drink, wondering what exactly his cousin mixed him and took a small swig.

It was good, sweet with a hint of fruit and just the right amount of burn. There couldn’t have been much alcohol in it, if any at all, but he could taste the healing prowess. Perhaps a good 50 or so HP?

If Grillby kept this up, then he would have to start a tab here…

 

“Hey, why did you burn that paper?” asked the Madjick, just barely keeping his tone.

 

Sore loser.

 

“Got a problem with it?” Fellby shrugged the question off. Seriously, he was trying to enjoy his drink.

 

“Yes,” huffed the Madjick in turn. “It's not polite to step into someone’s game.”

 

“...game?” Did he hear that right?

 

The Madjick rolled his eyes, adjusting his hat. “I know the countryside is a bit... slow and backwards but surely you know what I mean,” they said before glaring down at Fellby. “Step out of my game.”

 

“You're not the only one from the Capitol you know,” Fellby mumbled lowly, purple sparking once more through his flames.

 

“Yeah? Well then butt out,” growled the Madjick.

 

Before Fellby reply, the door to the kitchen opened and Grillby stepped back into the main room with a few plates of food balanced perfectly on his arms.

Fellby watched the flame from the corner of his eye but was still surprised when a plate with a large chunk of pie was set before him. The crust looked perfectly crisp and the smell of baked apples and cinnamon wafted up to greet him warmly. Fellby sat up a bit more, taking the fork and quickly taking a bite.

 

It was heavenly! Melting in his mouth and rich with magic. This piece of pie would easily be worth at least 250 HP if not more!

No doubt Swabby was the one who made it.

 

He took his eyes from the plate, looking up to find Grillby still watching him. Fellby suppressed a smirk. “Missing caramel,” he mumbled as straight-faced as he could.

 

Grillby's flames flickered in amusement. He turned around to grab a bottle of caramel syrup and placed it in front of the blue flame.

 

Fellby half-smirked to Grillby. This was fun. “Not the same thing, Grills.”

 

Grillby chuckled silently and made a wave with his hand.

 

At least Fellby could understand THAT, it wasn't his weird talking-with-hands-thing like usual. “Aww but the caramel is cold,” he protested with a mock pout.

 

Grillby rolled his eyes, his flames still flickering in amusement as he picked the bottle up and held it between his hands.

 

Fellby watched with fascination how his hands turned blue, the same hue as his own flames, and warmed the bottle.

Grillby then poured some of the caramel on the pie, perfectly even and nice with an elegant flick of his wrist.

 

Fellby snorted a tiny bit. “Show off.” But somehow seeing this simple gesture made him happy.

Grillby used to be really proud of his control over his flames when they were kids… He would show off his control as much as he could, always trying to amaze him.

Fellby still remembered how happy Grillby looked whenever he managed to astonish him with his newly learned abilities and tricks. How happy and energetic Grillby used to be in general… when Grillby was still his fun best friend.

 

Before things turned bad...

 

There were reasons, he knew that. Of course, he did not know exactly what they were but deep down he knew Grillby was not to blame. But, well, he was just a kid at the time. Grillby too… They both were...

UGH and here he was again thinking on the past! He really wished that it would just leave him be.

 

Grillby brought his hand to his mouth, chuckling silently.

 

Maybe he remembered showing off too. Fellby grinned back at him. Maybe his old friend was still somewhere in there? Burning the lab down was a good indicator for that but it was the little things like this which really sold him on the idea.

 

Fellby shook his head, digging into the caramel covered pie. Why did he ever leave when he could just demand pies like these?

 

Grillby went back to serving the other guests, bringing kibble to the dogs who came in for their usual lunch break.

 

“Hey uh can I have another drink?” asked the Madjick.

 

Fellby gave them a glance. Were they still at it?

 

Grillby just nodded, getting behind the bar again and mixed them another drink, placing it in front of them.

 

“Thanks. So... busy day today?” asked the monster again after sipping at the drink.

 

Grillby shrugged.

 

Fellby watched him intently. Nothing on the bartender showed a hint of interest.

 

“When do you close up by the way?” pressed the monster.

 

Grillby blinked and pointed at the sign for the opening and closing times of the bar.

 

Fellby snorted again. Grillby could have a very dry humor. Still, Fellby wished for this monster to give up and leave already. His eyes wandered and landed on the jukebox which was playing some cheesy song.

 

“Hey, Grills,” he cut in, gaining the bartender’s attention. “Do we have to listen to this shit?”

 

Grillby blinked before pointing towards the jukebox.

 

“Aw come on, Grills. Got anything besides the oldies?”

 

Grillby shrugged.

 

“Nothing with a beat?”

 

Grillby sighed and retrieved a notebook he kept in the bar for larger orders, quickly writing down some numbers.

 

Fellby let it burn again, just like he had with the Madjick’s number. “Oops.”

 

Grillby blinked, chuckled slightly and formed a tiny ball of blue fire in his hands, throwing it at Fellby and hitting him on the forehead.

It did not hurt, rather felt almost like someone or something tapped him. But still! Fellby made an irritated sound and rubbed the spot. “What was that for?” he huffed.

 

Grillby pointed towards the ash on the counter, his flames flickering a tiny bit as a small grin appeared on his face. With a flick of his hand, he summoned up a new shape with his flames; a tiny bird with an orange-red hue.

 

The bird took flight and landed on Fellby's head, nuzzling the blue flames there.

 

Fellby blinked at that. He had seen Grillby making shapes and animals for the children before but it was still stunning how much control his cousin had over his flames. Fellby shooed the bird away from his head, batting at it lightly with his hand.

 

The bird flew around the room causing many to turn their heads and look, before landing on the elemental’s head once more.

 

Fellby swore the thing even looked smug.

Grillby chuckled a bit as Fellby half-heartedly glared at him.

 

“Your bird needs a cage,” grumbled Fellby.

 

Grillby only chuckled as the bird hopped down to Fellby's shoulder, fluffing itself up.

 

Fellby was fascinated that he could feel the heat of the flames next to his cheek. Still, he couldn't let Grillby just WIN like this! He concentrated hard as his own flames circled the bird, enclosed it in a small ball without destroying the bird within.

The flame bird made a little flying motion without escaping the ball.

“Aww someone’s clipped its wings,” Fellby muttered with devious grin, glancing to Grillby curious as to what he would do next.

 

Grillby did not seem upset, his flames still flickering with playfulness and amusement. He waved with one hand and Fellby barely had time enough to turn his head to see the bird absorbing his flames, growing and emerging free, bigger than before with blue burning wings.

 

The bird took off again, flying a proud round through the bar.

 

Meanwhile, Grillby grinned smugly down at Fellby.

 

Fellby huffed though could not muster being truly angry in any way. The bird was beautiful, a work of art. Grillby's art and control was formidable. But still... “Brat,” he finally muttered out, pouting.

 

Grillby shook his head, letting the bird fly one last round before landing back on Fellby’s head.

 

Fellby glanced up a bit only to see the bird leaning down. He could SWEAR this bird was grinning at him...

Suddenly, the bird leaned further down and nuzzled against the flame’s cheek.

 

Many of the regulars, including the Dog Guards applauded for Grillby's show.

Fellby allowed himself a few seconds of enjoying the situation too before he mock-glared at the bird and shooed it away with his hand once more. “You're a ripe bastard you know that?” he grumbled out though he could feel himself smiling.

 

The bird, however, pecked Fellby gently on the head before fluttering down and landing in front of the monster to look at him with puffed up flames. It looked down-right adorable, even if Fellby would never admit it.

 

Grillby himself had returned to cleaning the glass in his hands.

 

Fellby took his fork and poked at the bird's chest.

 

The fork went into it without much happening. The bird was, after all, only flames.

The bird, in turn, waited for a second before pecking at Fellby’s fingers and looking as smug as a bird could be.

 

Grillby chuckled again.

 

“You know,” Fellby huffed, “I'm not really a bird guy.”

 

The bird took off again, ruffling Fellby's hair in the process with its wings. It made a last turn through the bar before disappearing into thin air, earning a round of applause from the regulars.

 

Fellby was a tiny bit sad to see it gone.

 

Grillby stepped closer to Fellby, waiting until Fellby looked at him. He pointed at the clock and tilted his head a tiny bit in a question.

 

Fellby glanced at the clock too. Oh, looks like it was almost time to get the kids. He shrugged and looked back to his half-finished pie.

 

Grillby smiled at him, petting him on the shoulder as he looked towards the dogs.

 

Doggo waved at him, his tail wiggling a bit. “Go get the pups, we’ll keep an eye on the place,” he said. “We'll keep everything moving and not-moving in our eyes!”

 

Grillby nodded at that and disappeared into the kitchen. No doubt to tell Swabby he is going...

 

Fellby wondered for a moment if he should join Grillby but quickly dismissed the thought. Even with recent events, he doubted that the school would be happy to have him around. Better safe than sorry at the very least. And if there was one person he trusted with bringing the kids home, it was Grillby.

 

The Madjick beside him made a strange noise when Grillby left.

 

“That time already, huh?” commented Dogaressa. “Well better clear a spot, you know how they get.” She chuckled, urging Lesser Dog out of his booth and towards a table.

 

“At least they keep moving,” grumbled Doggo while Lesser Dog yipped and moved, making some of the other dogs sit closer together so the booth was freed for the boys.

 

Greater Dog nodded happily in agreement.

 

“Uh…What’s going on?” the Madjick asked, looking from Fellby to the dogs in total confusion.

 

Fellby ignored him completely.

Before anyone else could answer, Grillby stepped back into the bar, his coat on and some containers in his hands.

‘Must be the deliveries he was talking about,’ Fellby thought to himself. Grillby had said something about this a few times, offering to deliver food to monsters who did not or could not come to the bar for lunch. So he must just be knocking out two birds with one rock.

 

Regardless, Fellby was happy. He wanted the kids here and with him again. Stars, he hadn't noticed how much he missed them. “Hurry back, Grills!” he shouted after his cousin as he left.

 

The Madjick was still looking very confused, asking again what was going on.

Finally, Dogamy took pity on him. “Oh, the pups are coming,” he explained. “They always eat here after school.”

 

“What... pups...?”

 

“Grillby's pups of course,” replied Doggo. “There aren't any others around.”

 

“Wait… that guy got kids?” asked the Madjick surprised.

 

“Of course,” answered Doggo. “Everyone here knows his kids.”

“They are the cutest puppies,” chuckled Doggaressa.

“More like little brats,” commented Fellby, chuckling.

 

The Madjick made a strange face.

 

“They do move and not appear out of nowhere,” stated Doggo. “They are good puppies.”

 

Fellby couldn’t help but to chuckle at the remark. “So, you're saying I should change that?” he teased.

 

“No,” Doggo replied quickly, unimpressed.

 

“You shouldn't change anything, Fellby,” Dogaressa insisted.

 

It took a while but he honestly thought the dogs were alright. For guards. They were utterly ridiculous at times and always up for a good round of poker though they did have a tendency to gamble biscuits instead of gold which Fellby had no real use for… But most importantly, they did not bother him about the shit he pulled in Hotland and never ratted him out to the Royal Guard. As long as he didn’t do anything drastic in Snowdin, they really did not seem to care... and if it came down to it, Fellby assumed that they’d just sick Grillby on his ass.

 

Fellby would be lying if he said there weren’t things he was terrified of. One of the most prominent being pissing off his cousin enough so that he would kick him completely out of his and the children’s lives.

 

He was sure it was going to happen when Grillby noticed Saz’ golden tooth but the only comment his cousin even made about it was asking him once what happened...

Of course, Fellby had denied everything at that time though something told him that Grillby had not believed one word of it even if he had never brought it up again...

 

_I do care, Swabby cares, we fucking love you AND YOU WONT EVER LET ANYBODY HELP YOU!_

 

Fellby shook his head. No sense in being hung up about the past... He sighed out. He was such a mess.

 

The Madjick made a strange sound, looking disappointed.

The dogs, having finished their kibble, shifted the conversation to the children and their quirks.

 

“The only ones that are hard to see are the two red ones,” commented Doggo. “Saz and Parz, they are not moving enough sometimes.”

 

“Well, young Saz sleeps a lot,” Dogaressa informs. “He would always fall asleep at some point when they were over playing.”

 

“While Suny and Papyrus have way too much energy,” Dogamy added with a deep chuckle.

 

“Sometimes it's a wonder that anybody can hold them,” agreed Doggo.

Lesser Dog yipped in agreement, tail wagging more.

 

“Oh, I can,” Fellby replied smirking. “The brats do anything I tell them.”

 

“I dread the future,” Doggo remarked dryly.

Greater Dog and Lesser Dog both barked out some laughter.

 

“Grillby is a good guardian, he won't let things get out of hand,” stated Doggaressa.

 

Fellby just smirked at them a bit more. “What he doesn't know about won't hurt him,” he replied, earning some more barking laughter and groans from the dogs.

 

“And what makes you think he doesn't know?” Dogaressa questioned with a smirk herself.

 

“Of course he doesn't know,” Fellby quickly replied, acting more confident than he felt. After all, Grillby couldn’t possibly know… could he?

 

“What makes you think _ **I**_ don't know and that I won't tell him?” asked a voice suddenly beside him.

Fellby turned his head to see Swabby leaning over the counter from the other side, grinning like a cat again, his bright yellow flames dancing with mirth and amusement.

 

“Aren't you suppose to stay in the back?” asked Fellby, trying to hide his startlement. For somebody so bright, Swabby sure as hell could be stealthy!

 

Swabby shrugged his shoulders. “It's boring and I wanted to see if you needed more pie,” he answered simply before grinning again. “Also, I just wanted to let you know that I do know. I have eyes everywhere, after all,” he continued with a wink.

 

It left Fellby speechless. What the hell exactly did Swabby know? And what did he mean by that?!?

 

“Swabby!” cheered Doggo behind the blue flame. “You feeling better?”

 

A sudden pang of guilt rushed through Fellby’s core. Swabby looked alright but he hadn’t asked… though surely with the flame teasing him like that, things were better… right?

 

“Yes, I am fine,” Swabby assured. “Really, I was just a bit cold from the walk... but some nice hot tea fixed me right up.”

 

Fellby relaxed a tiny bit at that. So Doggo just meant how he was doing... of course. It was fucking cold outside, even with Grillby close by and in protection it would be cold...

 

“Besides,” continued Swabby, chuckling. “Nothing can hold me down long.” He gave a short pause, grinning again. “I can't let Fellby here think all his little escapades are going unnoticed.”

 

Fellby felt himself growling lightly at Swabby.

 

“Sorry, Fellby,” said Swabby, winking lightly. “I won't tell him though... at least not yet. Soooo.... want some more pie?”

 

“You don't know shit,” Fellby growled out.

The Madjick beside him was eyeing Swabby up and down.

 

Fellby did not like the expression the tiny monster was making. He quickly turned his attention back to Swabby. “And you forgot the fucking caramel,” he accused.

 

Swabby rolled his eyes. “You said apple cinnamon.”

Fellby could see how his eyes flickered to the now empty plate.

“And it looks like Grillby got you caramel anyway,” he added, trying to keep a semi stern voice.

 

Fellby huffed. “You still don’t know shit.”

 

“Aww you don't know me very well, Fellby,” Swabby remarked as he reached inside one of the little pockets of his sweater and pulled out a few photos, flipping them over so Fellby could see the images.

 

Fellby blinked, looking down to the pictures.

They showed images of Fellby training with the children; some of them wrestling while others were training with magic.

 

“I told you,” Swabby chuckled, “I have eyes everywhere.”

 

“How the fuck did you get those?” he barked, making a grab for the photos.

Swabby only laughed, pulling the photos away and letting them disappear back in his pockets.

Fellby glared at the tiny flame. As much as he wanted to, he knew it wouldn't be easy to capture Swabby.

 

“I told you, I have a talent for photography.”

 

Fellby growled and made another grab for Swabby, leaning half over the bar. “No, you got a talent for being an annoying fucker!”

 

Swabby evaded him, laughing out in the process. “Language, Fellby.”

 

Fellby growled, however there was no real force behind it. The purple in his flames was gone completely. Damn, he missed this. Even if Swabby could be super annoying, he missed their little mock-fights.

And, honestly, he wouldn’t even know what to do with the yellow flame if he ever really caught him… well, besides the first time but that didn’t really count, he was drunk! He hadn’t been thinking clearly…

 

Swabby came closer, leaning across the counter and chuckled, mistaking Fellby’s silence for sulking. “Don't worry, I won't blackmail you with them,” he stated. “If you behave.”

 

Fellby rolled his eyes. “You won't be doing much blackmailing if I ever get my hands on you.”

 

“You can try,” giggled Swabby, “but you won’t.”

 

“We'll see about that.”

 

“You always say that and you always give up.”

 

The Madjick glanced back and forth between the two flames.

 

“I don't give up,” growled Fellby at him.

 

“What do you do then, huh?” continued Swabby with his teasing. “ _Baiting your time_ or something like that?”

 

“You're just too damned slippery.”

 

“I prefer ‘agile’ but call it like you will,” chuckled Swabby as he leaned a bit closer Fellby, teasingly.

 

Fellby glared up at him.

 

“So... More pie? Or not?”

 

Instead of answering, Fellby swiped his arm out for Swabby.

 

Swabby quickly moved out of the way and laughed at him again. “No pie then?” he concluded. “Aww more for the children I guess.”

 

Fellby huffed and fell back into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “Give me more pie,” he grumbled out, finally accepting defeat.

 

“What? Now suddenly you want some?” Swabby giggled, the teasing look still in his eyes. “Going to ask nicely?”

 

“Give me another slice and I won't dust you.”

 

“Hmmmm,” Swabby hummed, seemingly deep in thought about it. “Well that is a 3.5 on the nice score. You need at least a 5 to pass.”

 

“Swabby, I swear... wait,” Fellby paused, blinking up to the flame. “When the hell did you start using rates?”

 

“You understand rates, why not use them?”

Fellby could only glare at him.

“Do wanna have pie or not?”

“Are we doing this now?”

 

“Yes,” Swabby grinned cat like. “Come on, Fellby, you can do this.”

 

“I don't need your fucking encouragement.”

 

Swabby chuckled at him, looking him dead in the eyes. “Then prove it to me.”

 

Fellby sputtered, he lost a battle. “Just give me the damn pie,” he huffed.

 

“Hmmm... I would say that’s a 4. You can do better.”

 

“It’s not a fucking 4!” The fucking candle had way too much fun. “And quit using my system if you don't know how it works.”

 

The ‘system’ was not really his. He could not recall how or exactly when it started but he and Grillby use to measure things in numbers on a scale from 1 to 10. Be it how stupid something was, how much they liked something or how much pain they were in-

_Red laughed from the corner as he was beaten by his men._

_Water burned like acid against his skin._

_He tried screaming out but only smoke puffed from his mouth._

Fellby shivered lightly. The humans were a fucking 10 easy. No, make that 100.

 

He hadn't known Swabby started using it too...

 

“Just ask nicely for pie and you’ll get some,” continued Swabby. “And I rather like _your_ system.”

 

“You're not supposed to like it!”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so!”

 

At that point they were firing their responses at each other like a ball in a tennis game. The dogs looked back and forth between the one who was speaking as if actually watching a ball move. Not that Fellby really minded, honestly, he had forgotten that there was anyone else there besides the yellow flame in front of him.

 

“You do notice that you are being silly, right?”

“You notice you're being annoying?”

“You are more silly,” chuckled Swabby. “So, pie?”

 

Fellby glared at Swabby. There was a long moment of silence between them before Fellby let himself fall back into his seat, fully defeated. “Pie,” he mumbled.

The ‘please’ wasn't said but implied and one of the good things about Swabby was that he understood it clearly.

 

“Good enough,” Swabby decided with a nod, reaching down to pet the flames consisting of Fellby’s hair.

 

Fellby gave a half-hearted glare but they both knew that the battle was over and Swabby got to take his spoils. Fellby got pie out of it so he couldn't bring himself to be overly upset.

 

Swabby chuckled again and turned around, going back to the kitchen.

 

“What was that?” hissed the Madjick suddenly.

 

Fellby blinked at looked towards the monster having totally forgotten that this loser was still around. “Hm?”

“First you barge into my game and now you flirt with the next flame that comes along?”

 

Wait, stop, wait... what?

 

“Flirt?” squeaked Fellby. “I ain't flirting. Not my thing.”

 

The Madjick made a snorting sound. “Whatever you say,” they mumbled before standing up and throwing some money on the counter.

 

Fellby glanced at the coins. It was the exact amount the monster owed Grillby for food and drinks. Somehow that made him angry. “What no tip?”

It wasn't as if Grillby needed the money… Fellby knew Grillby had way more than enough to live comfortable till the end of times but still… It isn’t like the Madjick would know that and it was downright disrespectful! Fellby, himself, even he left tips when he ate at Muffet's place.

 

“What do you care?” they remarked, glaring at Fellby clearly annoyed. “The place is dumb. I am out of here.”

 

“I guess not everyone can handle life outside of the Capitol,” snarled Fellby.

 

The Madjick stopped to look at him again, snorting. “At least in the capitol there is some decent service. This place here is pathetic.”

 

There was a beat of silence. Fellby grinned a bit when he heard growling from several sources. Oh, this jerk should not have said that. The dogs didn't take it to kindly when their friend and provider of kibble was insulted. “Not too loud now or you'll turn all of Snowdin against ya,” chuckled Fellby, letting his Hotland accent draw out a bit more than necessary.

 

“What? Because I told the truth?” asked the Madjick, playing through though Fellby could easily see that they were putting on a ton of false bravado.

The Madjick jumped a bit when a heavy, furry hand landed on their shoulder. “I think you should leave,” growled Doggo.

 

The Madjick shrugged him off, turning to leave the bar hastily. “As if I would want to stay in this dump where the bartender can't even talk,” he grumbled a last time on his way out.

 

Doggo looked livid.

 

Fellby narrowed his eyes, taking aim. “I don't think you'd wanna play with fire anyways,” he shouted after him before shooting a fireball towards the monster's butt. “We tend to burn.” He grinned when he hit his goal true.

 

The Madjick yelped, turning around and glaring at Fellby, magic frizzling around them like an angry swarm of bees.

 

Their fight was interrupted before it could begin when Doggo walked between them, growling again at the Madjick. “YOU SHOULD LEAVE.”

 

“He attacked me!” hissed the Madjick.

 

“Sorry, didn't see anything,” replied Doggo with a shrug. “I just heard you talking some pretty hurtful things about one of the most respected member of this town. GET OUT!”

The Madjick seemed to struggle for words now, glaring at everyone without any support. “Fine! See if this place ever gets visitors from Hotland again,” they shouted before storming out.

 

“Hotland’s full of assholes anyways,” muttered Fellby when the jerk was finally out and away. Took long enough.

 

When Swabby came back with pie he expressed his confusion about the sudden tense atmosphere.

 

Fellby just took his pie from him, giving a shrug. “Doggo got up and walked into the door... didn't ya?”

 

“Well,” mumbled Doggo rubbing the back of his head when Swabby turned his attention to him. “The door was not moving and disappeared…”

Fellby grinned. He really liked dogs.

 

Swabby did not look very convinced. “Um okay,” he mumbled quietly.

 

“Well the door didn't disappear,” corrected Fellby. “Doggo just walked into it.”

 

“It disappeared!” yelped Doggo.

 

“No.”

“Fellby,” sighed Swabby. “Stop arguing with Doggo.”

“I'm not arguing! Who's arguing?”

“Just eat your pie.”

 

Fellby chuckled, looking down to the slice of pie. “So eager... poison it did ya?” he teased Swabby. He knew he wouldn't.

The food he got from the humans sometimes was… Not poison to kill but poison to make him hurt worse, hidden water or something similar that made him feel horrible. Monster could not get sick and vomit like a human but there were days where he really wished he could have…

But Swabby? He was not a jerk and food was always something sacred to him. He wouldn't ever mess with food.

 

“Why should I do that, huh?” asked Swabby chuckling, pulling Fellby from his musing.

 

“You tell me,” Fellby mumbled, cutting off a slice and holding it out to Swabby.

 

Swabby blinked at him, looking from the piece of pie on the fork to Fellby and back to the fork. “What? Want me to try it first?” he asked.

 

Fellby tried his best not to smirk at the look upon Swabby’s face. “Welp if you don't then I know you were tryin’ to poison me and your plan is ruined,” he explained.

 

Swabby stared blankly at the fire elemental for a moment before laughing. “I have no idea where you get your ideas from,” he chuckled but leaned down and ate the offered piece. “Hmmm, nice,” he hummed out. “See? No poison,” he concluded, chuckling. “What kind of plan should ever consist of poisoning you anyway, huh? The kids would be heartbroken, silly flame.”

 

“Hmm perhaps but then you'd get them all to yourself…”

 

Swabby chuckled. “There still would be Grillby... but I am quite happy as it is,” he replied fondly. “Eat your pie and I'll tell you the master plan the kids came up with.”

 

“Oh?” Fellby made, interested as he began eating a slice of the pie. It was just as delicious as the last. “What's that?”

 

Swabby giggled a tiny bit, leaning over the counter again, flames flickering nice and bright. “Basically, I am supposed to cook and bake to ‘fatten you up’ so you won't fit through the door anymore and can't leave,” he explained, giggling a bit through the whole thing.

 

Fellby blinked before letting out a chuckle himself. The kids got ideas... He took another bite of the pie to hide his smile. “Free food all day long? Sounds good by me,” he mumbled around the piece of pie in his mouth. “Especially if it's pie you're planning on baking... Wait...” he interrupted his own thought, swallowing the piece in his mouth and blinking. “Can flames even get fat?”

 

“That was the point that got them all wondering too,” admitted Swabby pausing, obviously thinking on the question. “To be honest, I don't know… Our bodies are mostly energy around a solid core,” he mused before grinning again. “But I’ll take this as a compliment to my pies.”

 

“You take everything as a compliment,” Fellby pointed out.

 

“Awww but you make the best ones,” teased Swabby before becoming serious again. “Silliness aside, there is more pie at home,” he stated, looking Fellby over, his flames shifting from amusement to something akin to concern. “And really you should eat more. You felt… thinner earlier.”

 

“Why do I get the feeling they got the idea from you?”

 

“Nope, I was just as surprised,” Swabby denied with a chuckle. “Suny had the idea... he even used the worlds ‘fattening up’. It was hilarious.”

Fellby felt a tiny but hurt by the fact he missed this. He missed a LOT and it was his own fault.

 

“I got a video of it if you want to see,” he continued.

Fellby half wondered if the other flame could read his mind. “Of course you would...”

 

Swabby rounded the bar, taking a seat beside Fellby. “So... Grillby should be back soon with the children... Are you ready to get tackled by six excited kids?” he giggled. “There is something we have to talk about, by the way... about Saz and Parz but... better after lunch, huh?”

 

Fellby blinked at that, frowning a tiny bit. “Uh yeah… As if I have much choice in the matter,” he mumbled as a thought entered his mind. “You think Grills will tell 'em I'm here?”

 

“Most likely? Hmm no,” giggled Swabby. “He likes to surprise them. You know... they REALLY missed you.”

 

“Just because they get bored... who can blame them really, they're stuck with the King of Boredom Grills all the time...”

 

Swabby gave him a strange look. “You do know they don't love you just out of boredom, don’t you? Especially in Saz and Parz’ case.”

 

Fellby did not reply anything at that, looking away. He picked at the pie on his plate to look busy.

 

Really, he knew that the kids loved him... for some reason or another. He wasn't really sure what but there had to be one, right? There had to be something that let Grillby allow him stay and Swabby to make him pie and for the kids to love him so much that they’d call him uncle and family and...

 

Stars, he loved them so much and he had no idea what he did to deserve them.

 

He was pulled from his thoughts when the door again and the room became a little bit brighter with Grillby's orange-red light.

 

“Here we are,” Grillby announced and with him came in the children.

Something in Fellby's soul made a little jump at the sight of his little skeletons.

 

“Uncle Swabby? Uncle Fellby?” asked Sans shocked.

 

“UNCLE FELLBY!” Pyru called out his name happily.

Saz' little face lit up with happiness and joy seeing the blue flame.

 

Parz did not waste any time at all, he just launched himself with a loud cry of “UNCLE FELLBY!” at the fire elemental and hugged him for all his worth.

Fellby barely managing to catch him and brace himself before the other skeletons launched themselves at him too.

 

Suny and Papyrus were cheering the loudest whilst Sans and Pyru just beamed at him.

Saz held on tightly at him as if he was the only thing holding him steady in this world.

 

The only thought that entered Fellby’s mind was “screw everything” as he pulled them tightly to himself, embracing them to his best ability.

 

He was truly home.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is NOT the promised Christmas chapter. We are so very sorry but both of us had a LOT of RL related stuff flying around during December. It WILL come. But until then, we had this chapter ready. There will be only one or two more of the school day chapters before we finish up this arc. ^^
> 
> Also: We hope this helped all of you who were missing their daily dose of Fellby. XD
> 
> Also: FANART! :D
> 
> by Dealdraws (http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/)  
> Some very cute little pics of Saz, Parz, Pyru and the flames:  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/154181982161/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-i-spent-the-whole#tumblr_notes
> 
> Soup, Fellby's pet  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/154825380916/12-days-of-christmas-but-with-trioblaster-theme#tumblr_notes
> 
> Suny in a Gyftmas Tree and Fellby complaining about the cold  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/154955953526/dealdraws-i-didnt-have-anything-prepared-since-i#tumblr_notes
> 
> Fellby complaining about the cold and stealing all the blankets  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/154987105256/your-headcanon-of-fellby-doing-things-to-stay-warm#tumblr_notes
> 
> Dealdraws's OC interacting with Fellby. They have a whole own AU and borrowed Fellby from us with our permission. It is hilarious, check it out of you can. ^^  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/155270824856/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-i-finally-do-a-comic#tumblr_notes
> 
> Thank you at everybody too who shared the links, left Kudos and comments and supports the fic. Thank you to all of you. ^^


	22. Shadow of the Past - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the shadow of the laboratory incident behind them, Grillby tries to lighten up the mood. Gyftmas comes just at the right time now. Or: The first Gyftmas the children celebrated with the flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the Christmas chapter we had planned... well... for Christmas. X.x Due to the School-chapters being so long and due to RL stuff we just... couldn't finish it earlier. But here it is, kicking up the start to the arc right before the school day chapters. (There is still one school chapter left btw, it will be up next because it's LONG and we thought you guys maybe don't want to wait to long for this one... so... here it is)
> 
> We are also working on a timeline, so don't worry. But yeah, this chapter does play a few months before the School day chapters but after the Dark Past chapters and also after the Halloween chapter "Orders". We are still in the second year the children stayed with the flames.

 

 

“Say, Fellby... will you be here for Gyftmas?”

 

“For what now?“

 

Grillby glanced to Fellby who was laying on the couch looking rather tired whilst watching the tiny form Saz curled up and sleeping against his side. However, now his gaze, still hidden behind his sunglasses, was focused on Grillby himself. “For Gyftmas,” repeated Grillby. “It would be the children's first real... we didn't celebrate last year for obvious reasons.”

 

“You mean the fact that all of ‘em were scared shitless by everything?” scoffed Fellby. “You really want to do that mushy thing?” he asked making a face. “Urg wasn’t the birthday party enough?”

 

“I think it would be good for them,” replied Grillby softly, looking over the other children and yellow flame whom were all laying on the rug in front of the fireplace.

Sans was shifted into his canine form sleeping, curled up with Papyrus in his arms whom was happily coloring away with Suny who, in turn, was held by Swabby.  
Pyru leaned heavily against the yellow flame, looking exhausted.  
Parz sat a bit away from the others, curled close to the fireplace and already half nodding off from the calm atmosphere.

“And to be honest,” Grillby continued, “we could use something to take our minds off of everything.”

 

“You’re still reading those creepy diaries, aren’t you?” Fellby accused, rolling his eyes. “I told you, Grills, the creep was nuts and you’ll do nothing more than drive yourself crazy if you keep messing with those things!”

 

“He is still at large and I still hope to find… something,” grumbled Grillby, not wanting to admit how much the whole thing still affected him. “Just… a reason why a monster would do something so horrible as-”

 

“Grills, look at me and repeat,” interrupted Fellby with a dull tone. “‘This guy was nuts’. The diary is just senseless babble and nightmare-fuel so if I were you, I would have burned it alongside the fucking lab.”

 

“Language,” mumbled Grillby, sighing deeply. It irked him but he knew Fellby was right. “So Gyftmas?”

 

“What about it?”

 

“Will you stay?”

 

“So, what?” snorted Fellby. “Sit around some tree and sing stupid songs while playing happy little family?”  
  


“Basically. And eating a nice dinner, getting the kids some gifts... just... put the whole lab thing behind us,” Grillby answered, smiling when his cousin visibly perked up at the mention of food.

 

“So... you gonna feed me?”

“The couch is yours to sleep on.”

“Gonna stock up on bathing oil?”

“I will.”

 

Fellby remained silent for a moment as if considering his options “...Get Swabby to make some pie and I’ll think about it,” he mumbled.

 

Grillby grinned. “You promised that you would be in for the long run, remember?”

 

“Yeah,” Fellby muttered out, glancing away. “Looks like I have to make good on that now.”

 

There was a long moment of silence as Grillby watched over the children. He really enjoyed these moments, as few as they were, where everything was just so… peaceful.

 

“I won't wear any stupid sweater though.”

 

Grillby chuckled lightly. “We’ll see.”

 

-

 

It was not the first Gyftmas Grillby had organized, even if the name had changed over the centuries… It was not truly an apology party held to cheer up someone teased by teenagers, rather an old holiday, far much so than even Grillby could remember. The names and specifics changed, sure, but at the core most things remained the same.

 

A fest you celebrated with family. Gifts for the little ones alongside good food and drink. Held in the winter, also known as the death of the year, to make the worries of the world forgotten.

 

It was the first Gyftmas Grillby would celebrate with a family in a very, very long time.

 

There were some family parties in the past though he truly only ever went because Swabby had asked him and, even then, he never stayed long, feeling suffocated by heat and LOVE, surrounded by people who would never understand… He pretty much only showed up to give Swabby his gift and leave as soon as he could do so politely.

However, he could still remember celebrating with Fellby and their parents in the distant past… The little blue flame dragging him around in awe of everything only to fall asleep at one point or another when the celebration went on for too long.

 

There was one Gyftmas during the war too, a quiet and cold affair. He remembered staying close to Sylvan, warming the plant elemental as they huddled close to the campfire whilst Gerson told them stories and tales. They did not have much food but they made the best out of what they had; Sylvan managed to grow some potatoes and carrots from the ground with his magic and produced some syrup to sweeten their food whilst Grillby kept the fire going. Gautami built them tents with her bone-constructs even providing a makeshift tree that honestly looked more like a deformed bone in Grillby’s opinion than anything else. Of course the other monsters in their unit did what they could to help the mood, talk about family and planning for the future… despite everything, it was still a fond memory for him. But sadly, not something to take as a reference for a proper Gyftmas.

It was an old struggle for him, vaguely knowing how something was supposed to be yet having little experience and unable to recall many memories of such things. Regardless, he did his best.

 

He would celebrate this year with his children and Swabby. Fellby too, hopefully.

 

Swabby seemed full of cheer, baking what felt like a ton of cookies with the children curiously watching his every move. At one point Swabby offered Papyrus, Saz, Parz and Suny some plastic cookie cutters to make shapes out of the soft batter.  
Suny tried to make a cookie shaped like Fellby's face but the whole thing just ended up looking like a giant blob once it finished baking… though the tiny skeleton did not seem to care and decorated it with blue sprinkles causing Swabby to giggle for the remainder of the day.

 

Grillby got to work on decorating the house with stings of colorful lights: green, blue, red and white. The children all seemed to love it, he even witnessed Sans and Pyru sitting in front of the house a few times, just watching the blinking lights with awe.

 

“It's like... like stars,” whispered Sans in awe when Grillby had asked him why he liked the lights so much.

 

Another part of the modern Gyftmas was sweaters. Swabby already had his own and had given Grillby one last year as a gift, he now hinted at having something ready for Fellby too so only the children needed some now.

 

Therefore, Grillby spent a week on the couch in the evenings, sewing and knitting for the children.

 

Fellby took interest in the process, watching him while Swabby fixed up some of their other clothes. “What are you doing?” he asked, looking curiously at the fabric in Grillby’s lap.

 

“I'm making Gyftmas sweaters for the children,” answered Grillby softly.

 

“You can knit?”

 

“A bit?” Grillby replied, frowning. “It's not the best but I can make scarfs, socks and sweaters.”

 

“Didn't take you for the type. Swabby, yeah but not you,” mumbled Fellby out.

 

“It's a good exercise in control... and practical,” shrugged Grillby, holding up the needles.

 

“If you say so,” muttered Fellby skeptically as he kept watching both of them.

 

“You want to learn?” Swabby questioned after a while.

  
“What? No,” huffed Fellby. “Besides I already know how to sew.” It was necessary in the Underground; they had only what the waterfall provided them and what little bit they could make themselves. Learning how to sew was something everybody had to do at some point or another.

 

“I meant knitting,” replied Swabby.

 

Fellby huffed, turning his head. “Looks boring.”

 

“It can be fun.”

 

“Boring fun.”

 

Both Grillby and Swabby chuckled at Fellby’s statement.

 

The blue flame spent the rest of the evening pretending not to watch them before suddenly flopping down over both of their laps.

Grillby glanced towards Swabby and the smaller flamed looked back before both of them gave a shake of their heads and continued as if they didn't have a very irritated flame in their laps.

 

The sweaters turned out to be great.

Swabby blackmailed Fellby into wearing his, a dark-red in color with some green pine trees stitched on the front and back. He looked rather festive like this.

 

Grillby pretended not to notice when he caught Fellby admiring the soft fabric though he did mention it to Swabby later that evening.

Swabby's almost impish giggle could be heard for hours afterward and it made Fellby paranoid.

 

A newer tradition which Grillby became fond of after hearing the children of Snowdin’s gleeful chatter was Santa visiting each child personally. Or rather Asgore came each year dressed as Santa or occasionally ‘father of winter's turn’, ‘Golly-Howdy’ or ‘Fluffy’… the king had many names and many costumes which he dawned in order to give children their presents and make their eve a special one.

It all began around seven hundred years ago, in an attempt to raise hope in the Underground and make the newer generations happy.

 

The only problem was that Grillby still did not want the children to be out in public so long as Gaster was still at large… There were precious few people who even knew of their existence and he wanted to keep it that way.

The dog guards told him repeatedly that they would find and arrest Gaster but nothing thus far had been accomplished.

 

They found two other labs that seemed to be used by the monster, with all the horrible implications that came with that, but not the man himself...

So, no, he wouldn't risk the children carelessly like this.

 

With a heavy heart, Grillby left for New Home one early morning, leaving Swabby and Fellby to care for the children whilst he was away. He did not like New Home, it was far too close to Hotland. But there was just no way around this if he wanted the idea he had to work.

 

He traveled lightly, only a thin coat over his usual clothes, not wanting to be seen. Thankfully, few monsters cared much for old veterans of the war, still there were reasons why his old friend Gerson lived in Waterfall alone. Nobody seemed to mind him walking through the streets of New Home towards the palace.

 

There were a few perks of being one of the last soldiers of the royal army. Getting an audience with the king right away, for example.

Although, Grillby imagined that Asgore would make time for anybody wanting to talk to him anyways.

 

The two sat in the throne room, Asgore serving them both some tea and lemon flavored biscuits which were formed like little trees and Gyftmas bells though a bit misshaped by the king’s large paws. The smell of the tea was rich and flowery. Golden Flower Tea, the King's favorite.

 

“So, Grillby,” begun Asgore as he sat down across from the flame. “What leads you to me, old friend?”

 

“I would like to ask a favor,” Grillby replied, barely touching his tea. “And to ask it remain a secret.”

 

“A secret?” mused Asgore. “That is rather unexpected, my old friend.”

 

Grillby shrugged. “I'm a bartender,” he offered.

 

“You are so much more than that,” replied Asgore softly. “I worry about you.”

 

Grillby was silent for a moment. Of course the king worried. Asgore was very nice, making it hard for anyone to not like him. “You do not need to, my king,” Grillby stated after a short pause. “I am... quite all right.”

 

“That is good to hear,” smiled Asgore. “But you know, my offer for a surname for you still stands...”

 

Grillby took a deep breath.

A surname.

It was a great honor.

 

Most monster did not have one, only royalty and those who did the highest of service to monster kind was granted this privilege.

To be granted a surname, a family name, and thereby start and maintain a family line…

 

Not even Swabby's parents, whom worked very hard at the sanctuary and helped to organize the refugees in the war, were granted such honor.

 

“My answer is still the same as the first time you offered,” Grillby mumbled out. “I... do not want this honor for murdering people and failing to protect those entrusted to my care...”

 

“Grillby,” the king sighed. “No one fought harder than you. The fallen were not your fault.”

  
“I still was too late. They are still dead,” whispered Grillby. “I do not wish to start a line on blood, dust and tears.”

 

There was a moment of silence, both musing over their drink.

 

“But... you do want to start a line?” Asgore inquired, smiling a bit. “I heard some rumors about a young flame going in and out of Snowdin?”

 

“I…” Grillby sighed. Leave it to monsters to be full of gossip. “I rather you do me a favor,” he begun.

He retold the tale quickly. How he found some children who were hurt and scared, in need of help. How he hid them away because the one responsible was still on the loose. How he had help from his two cousins… letting it slip about the family they were beginning to build.

 

“That is... quite a tale, Grillby,” Asgore muttered, frowning. “I... can't imagine that somebody I gave the position of royal scientist could do such thing. Gaster you say? This family name was granted to a family of very brave and loyal skeletons,” he informed, running his hand through his beard in deep thought. “If I remember correctly, they stopped the last human that came to the Underground... held them off long enough for other monsters to flee and alert me... They paid for this with their lives, leaving a young child behind. I granted him a surname in honor of his parent’s sacrifice. … Like I said, I... I can't imagine that this child could... ever do something like that. Or that any monster could.”

 

“I know,” Grillby remarked, lowering his gaze. “It does not change the fact however.” That bit of information was intriguing though... A monster whom lost their family only to turn to something this? It made Grillby wonder if he could have taken a similar, horrifying path had circumstances been different... “But,” the flame began anew, shaking the dark thoughts from his mind. “I want to ask something different from you… Something for them.”

 

Asgore leaned forward, listening.

 

 

-

 

The days seemed to fly by after that.

Grillby found himself making Gyftmas-themed food and drinks in his bar and read Gyftmas stories to the children at bedtime.

Swabby made a trip to Hotland and back, bringing a box of ornaments with him, saying that he had them for a while but never really got around to using them when asked.

 

Fellby fussed a while but finally agreed to come with Grillby and children deep into Snowdin’s forest to fetch a tree.

 

“I mean, what do we even need a tree for?” he grumbled, wrapping himself tighter into his coat, the magical protection glimmering softly against the wind. “We just put it up, let the candle dress it up and throw it out a few days later… seems like a waste of a perfectly good tree to me.”

 

“It a tradition,” replied Grillby softly.

 

“Still stupid.”

 

Regardless of the adults bickering, the children were having a wonderful time! It was a quiet and dark yet they were walking deep into the woods so there was no risk of anyone seeing them.

Pyru yipped happily as he shifted into his dog form to run around in the deeper snow, Suny squealing with delight on his back.

Sans and Papyrus were both running after their brothers, giving little cheers of their own as they tried to capture the canine skeleton.

Saz and Parz, on the other hand, both stayed close to Fellby looking interested in the world around them.

 

“Uncle Fellby,” Parz interrupted the flame’s grumbling. “Why are we getting a tree? What’s it for?”

 

“Uh… well,” Fellby hesitated, scratching a place on his cheek. “People um place them inside… in front of their windows all decorated and um…”

 

“Then Santa will come and bring presents for all the good little monster,” added Grillby softly.

 

“Presents?” asked Saz, blinking up at the elementals. “Like our... uh... birth...day?”

 

“Santa?” Fellby muttered frowning.  
  
Grillby chuckled, leaning over to Fellby to whisper “I’ll explain later” to him before turning his attention back to Saz. “Yes. It is called Gyftmas and there will be gifts for the children.”

 

Saz blinked at the statement.

  
“What is Santa?” inquired Parz with a frown. “Is it like Sans?”

 

Grillby gave a deep chuckle. “No, even if their names sound similar,” he answered. “Santa is a monster in a red and white suit who he brings all the good children presents on Gyftmas.”

 

“Sounds... weird.”

 

“I HEARD ABOUT SANTA!” exclaimed Suny suddenly, hopping off Pyru’s back and running up to them, beaming. “METTATON ONCE TALKED ABOUT HIM IN THE TV!”

 

Fellby automatically groaned hearing the robot’s name.

 

“He did?” Pyru mumbled, frowning as he transformed back. “I don't remember...”

“You were asleep,” Suny replied with a pout. “Lazy!”

 

“I can't remember either,” Papyrus chimed in, frowning as he came near the flames once more. “When was that?”

 

“Uh,” Suny frowned and held up a full hand. “That many days ago!”

 

“Was Santa that monster dressed in red?” asked Sans. “The one that kept saying ‘Ha Ha’?”

 

“No, he said Ho ho ho,” cried Suny. “And he could fly and gave hugs like Uncle Swabby and Grillby and was the bestest ever! Beside the angel, of course.”

 

Pyru looked intrigued. “And he really gives gifts?”

 

“Yeah! Well… he did in the TV…”

 

“Well, there is a tradition,” Grillby added. “And a story...”

 

“A story?” Saz inquired, looking to Grillby interested.

 

Fellby glanced towards his cousin, raising a brow.

 

“Tell us the story!” proclaimed Sans.

 

“I think Swabby would tell it better than I,” Grillby chuckled out. “Which means we better hurry and get our tree so that we can listen to the story later.”

 

“WE WILL GET THE VERY BEST TREE EVER!” exclaimed Papyrus before running ahead again, the other children hurrying after him.

 

“What the fuck is Santa?” whispered Fellby once the children were out of hearing distance.

 

Grillby blinked in confusion. “You... really don't know?”

 

“I wasn't exactly invited to Gyftmas or whatever the fuck they call Winter's Turn now,” huffed Fellby, glaring at the footprints the children left in the snow ahead of them. “Remember, no one wants me around.”

 

Something inside Grillby squeezed at his soul painfully. Perhaps his cousin had been too young to remember much above ground? So, this wouldn’t just be the boy’s first Giftmas, huh? “It's a figurehead who brings gifts for the children,” he answered softly. “Asgore has made it a tradition to dress up as him and visit the villages in the Underground... He loved giving children gifts.”

 

“Wait. King Fluffybuns does that?” Fellby questioned with a humorous tone. Though another thought seemed to dawn in his mind. “The king really comes to Snowdin?”

 

“Yes,” Grillby remarked. “He comes every year.”

 

Fellby looked troubled at that information.

 

“We can't go out,” Grillby mumbled. “I still do not want... Gaster to know where they are.”

 

“Yeah... the nut-job is still running round,” Fellby grumbled. “I am kinda surprised you ain’t hunting him down, to be honest.”

 

“Hunting is for the guards,” replied Grillby sternly, looking towards the children whom seemed to have forgotten why they had come out here and were now playing in the snow. “I think I would rather be their angel than... away chasing shadows.”

 

“Hmph,” huffed Fellby, adverting his eyes. “Let's just get the fucking tree already, it's freezing out here.”

 

-

 

Grillby looked at the small pine tree the children choose and had to smile a bit, his soul filling up with nostalgia.

Cutting the tree was difficult seeing that trees tended to be very flammable but there were tricks on how to get it done though the person who told him of these was long gone…

 

He shook his head a bit as the tree landed against the soft snow. Thinking about Sylvan still hurt too much but being around all these trees sprung forth memories. However, now was not the time for that. Now was time to bring the tree home.

 

He leaned down and got a good grip on the trunk of the tree, lifting the bulk of it easily. He frowned a bit as he noticed that the topmost part of the tree was still on the ground, dragging in the snow. That simply would not do. “Fellby?” Grillby hummed in thought as he glanced over his shoulder towards the blue flame. “Would you mind helping me with the- huh?” he paused, blinking at his cousin.  
  
Fellby was looking towards him yet seemed to be in his own little world.  
  
“Fellby? Are you all right?”  
  
“Uh…” the flame uttered, blinking a few times. “Y-yeah um just uh… what?”

 

“Help me with the tree?” he repeated, grabbing hold of the freshly cut base again and indicating where Fellby should help.  
  
“R-right,” Fellby mumbled, coming forward and lifting the crown to his best ability, stumbling along behind the orange flame as they begun carrying the tree back towards Grillby’s home.

 

The children followed behind them, playing and chatting about the upcoming Giftmas.

 

Grillby walked a slightly slower pace than before noticing that Fellby seemed to have some difficulty with his end of the tree. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he questioned softly, looking over his shoulder towards the blue flame. “Another memory?”

 

“Fine,” Fellby muttered, huffing as he shifted the tree’s weight. “You make this look so damned easy.”  
  
“Hm? Do I?”

 

“Tsk,” spat out Fellby. “This is fucking hea-“

Papyrus screamed out suddenly, cutting off the blue flame midsentence.

Fellby dropped the tree and spun around, purple flaring into his flames as he scanned the area for what made the skeletons scream.

Grillby paused as well, quickly looking around though finding only themselves and the boys.

 

The children were all looking to Papyrus confused save for Sans and Pyru whom both seemed at nerves end, shivering as they scanned the environment around them. Both seemed on verge of changing, Pyru's fingers looking more like claws and Sans' skull elongating alongside his fully formed tail.

 

Fellby let out a breath of air. “Damn, kid, don’t scare us like that.”

 

“Papyrus?” Suny questioned, coming over to stand at his brother’s side. “What’s wrong?”

 

Papyrus continued holding his hands to his face in horror though he had since stopped screaming.

 

Sans shook his head, trying to calm down. “Bro?”

 

“What’s with all the noise?” growled Parz, glaring towards Papyrus.

 

Grillby glances between the children having no clue as to what had happened before focusing his eyes on the skeleton in question. “Papyrus,” he spoke softly, hoping to gain the child’s attention.

 

Papyrus, in turn, just pointed towards the ground.

 

“Huh?” Suny blinked looking towards where Papyrus pointed.

 

In the snow lay a small, scaled oval.

 

“What’s that?” the small skeleton asked as he picked up the item.

 

“DON’T TOUCH IT,” shrieked Papyrus.

 

Suny instantly dropped the item, looking back towards his brother with widened eyes.

 

Pyru sighed out softly, shoulders relaxing. “Oh… it’s not dangerous Papyrus,” he informed. “Those things live in trees, remember?”

 

Fellby glanced down at the item in question confused. “A pinecone?” he inquired, bending down and taking the small seed in his hand. “Why the hell did a pinecone make you scream?”

 

“Ew ew ew ew,” rambled Papyrus, hoping up and down at the sight.

 

Saz blinked, coming over to examine the pinecone in Fellby’s hand. “What’s a pinecone?”

 

“Uh,” began Fellby, scratching his head, “it’s a pinecone…”

 

Grillby chuckled at the lackluster description. “It’s a seed.”  
  


“A seed?” questioned Parz as he came over and poked the pinecone with his index finger.

 

“Oh,” Sans mumbled, “that’s what it is? We had them fall all over the place when we lived in the woods.”

 

The two flames frowned at the words, sending one another a quick glance.

 

A rattling of bones drew attention towards a shivering Papyrus. “I don’t care! They’re icky,” he shrieked. “And hurts when you step on them!”

“A seed?” inquired Suny.

 

Grillby shook his head lightly, shifting the tree in his grasp. “It will grow to become a tree like those around us.”

 

Suny’s eye grew wide. “IT’S A BABY TREE?!?”

 

Parz paused his prodding of the pinecone to look up at the tree surrounding them. “Do you think they’ll get mad?”

 

Fellby looked from the small skeleton towards the sky where he appeared to be watching. “Who?” he questioned confused.  
  
“The trees,” Parz answered quietly. “We have their baby…”

 

Fellby snorted, barely able to contain his laughter.

 

“I do not think they mind,” Grillby spoke up, giving his cousin a stern look. “Now let us hurry home, Swabby is waiting to decorate the tree with you all.”

 

-

 

They set up the tree in the living room, away from the fire place.

Swabby had collected all sort of ornaments and, to Papyrus's great delight, several stands of colorful tinsel. Some of which ended up as mini decoration on the skeletons as well on Sans's nose making a sudo mustache.

Fellby almost got decorated too when he took a nap on the couch. However, Sans and Pyru were giggling a bit too loud as they tried to place a hat they decorated with tinsel and a left-over branch from the pine tree. Fellby made a squawk-like sound as he bolted up suddenly, clenching the hat in his fist.

 

“Run away, run away,” giggled out Sans as he and Pyru made their escape.

Fellby, of course, gave chase as the others giggled at the antics of their brothers.

 

It only grew quiet when Swabby came in with hot coco, calling all the children to himself.

Everyone settled back on the couch with Saz and Parz curled up in Fellby's lap after he had a cup himself, Sans and Pyru on each Grillby's knees and Swabby cuddling both Papyrus and Suny close while he told them the story of Santa.

 

“It is told from very old times,” begun Swabby softly, “that a long time ago, monsters used to live on the surface. There were stars in the night and a great big sun in the day. There were seasons that were ever changing: Spring where plants grew, summer when it was warm, fall when the leaves turned all the colors of the rainbow and when the harvest took place and, finally, winter when it was cold and dark like here the underground… The winter was a hard season on monsters who did not have ice magic. The Moldsmol and Froggies, the Whimsun and Loraxes, the fire elementals and Vulkins… they all were cold and hungry during this time. The nights were long and the precious daylight was growing shorter and shorter until, during one day in the year, it wouldn't come to them at all! Yet at the darkest hour, when they felt their hope slowly fall, there was suddenly a knock at the door and when the monsters opened their doors, they found a large monster there dressed in the red hue of determination and white like a monster soul, with a large green colored bag to resemble Kindness. He was fuzzy and soft and laughed in a booming voice; ‘Merry Gyftmas,’ he would call.

‘Don't lose hope, for I am Santa and am here to bring you joy and gifts, for I am the spirit of kindness and hope during these cold and unforgiving times’.”

 

“Uncle Swabby?” Sans interrupted. “Why didn't the angel come?”

 

Swabby blinked before chuckling lightly. “Well, Santa brings gifts and joy during Gyftmas,” he informed softly. “The angel brings light and freedom, remember?”

 

“Oh... right...”

 

“Anyways… The monsters at first were afraid of Santa but their children loved him from the very beginning. He picked them up and made them feel warm, giving each child a present. All the monster came together that night, to share the joy they got from Santa who vowed to come back every year during the darkest hours to bring joy and kindness… And every year he did so. Every year monster would come together to celebrate and Santa would appear, sometimes in the open, sometimes hidden in the night, to bring them gifts and joy.” Swabby paused for a moment at that point, holding Papyrus and Suny closer to himself. “And then,” he whispered, “we were forced into the Underground… The monsters cried and were sad because there was no sky down here, no sun in the day and no stars in the night… It was just dark and cold and they had nothing besides themselves… The monster ran away from the barrier, deeper and deeper into the Underground where King Asgore founded Home but it wasn't really home. It was cold and small and dark… and there were so many people missing, so many things lost,” he let out a soft sigh before continuing.

“When the time for the first Gyftmas came, everybody was sure that Santa would not come... There was no joy to be given, no hope to be shared. They were trapped and locked away in the darkness to be forgotten.”

 

Parz made a tiny sound at that, curling up more into Fellby's lap while Sans and Pyru both held on tightly to Grillby.

 

Swabby could feel how Suny tensed while Papyrus hugged onto him. Swabby reached out and gently pet over both of them. “But then, in the middle of the night,” he whispered, “there was a knock at the door again. At first, the monster thought they misheard but, just as they were about to lose hope, there it was again along with a deep voice that said ‘Ho ho ho!’ and, unbelieving, they opened their doors and there he was, red and white and green and smiling gently like always.

‘Don't fear, little monsters,’ Santa said gently as he picked up the children that came running to him.

‘I will always find you, for I am the spirit of kindness. As long as there is kindness running through your souls, as long as you love and there are children to be cheered up, as long as there is just a speck of hope left in just one of you, I will come and bring you joy and gifts. Because I am Santa and I love all of you’.”

 

The children cheered together at this moment.

  
Swabby smiled, continuing his story. “And the monster cheered and laughed for the first time since they were in the Underground. There was food and music, monsters danced and were joyful and, for a moment, it didn't matter where they were or why… only that they were still together, still alive. And every year, Santa would come to bring joy and gifts because he is the spirit of kindness and there is always still hope.”

 

“THAT’S A NICE STORY,” cheered Suny, giggling.

“YEAH,” agreed Papyrus. “SANTA IS THE BEST!”

“Does Santa come to us too?” asked Saz quietly.

 

“Uh,” mumbled Fellby, glancing towards Grillby and Swabby before turning his attention back to the small skeleton, petting carefully over Saz' head. “We'll see… okay?”

 

The kids cheered again at the reply.

Fellby had no clue if that was a good or bad thing to be honest.

 

“So, Santa is kindness?” asked Pyru after a while. “Is he a monster?”

 

“Uh... not really,” answered Swabby. “He is neither monster nor human. He is just... Santa.”

 

“Kindness is a part of every monster soul,” added Grillby softly. “Our souls are made from magic, compassion and love... and there is a speck of kindness in every one of us.”

 

Fellby made a little noise at that though no one seemed to really notice.

 

“So there always will be a Santa?” Papyrus inquired.

 

Grillby gave a single nod. “If there is monster, he will be there too.”

 

“You know, we just have to do one thing,” Swabby spoke up. “We have to send a letter to Santa.”

 

“A LETTER?” asked Suny. “BUT... but me and Papyrus and Parz and Saz can't really write much…”

 

“Oh, you don't have to write one,” informed Swabby. “You can also draw a picture.”

 

“YES! LET’S DO THAT!” cheered Suny. “WE NEED ALL THE COLORS!”

 

“Well, luckily, I have all the colors here,” giggled Swabby as he pulled out paper and crayons.

 

The living room was soon transformed into a whirlwind of paper and colors as the children drawled and, in Pyru’s and Sans’ case, wrote their letters to Santa.

There were pictures of Snow and Snow-people and trees covered in an assortment of colors. There were red blobs with white and green smears meant to be Santa and all sorts of different things.

 

“What did you write to Santa?” Swabby asked Pyru after a bit. “I saw you writing a lot.”

 

“Oh just... uh...” mumbled Pyru bashfully. “Just... a thank-you for bringing gifts?”

 

“Aww.” Swabby smiled down to the skeleton. “That is really nice of you.”

 

“How do the letters get to Santa?” inquired Sans. “I mean, if Santa only comes for Gyftmas?”

 

“There are ways to get them to him before that,” answered Grillby. “There is an old tradition... We did it when I was young.”

 

“What do you mean?” asked Fellby. “I can't remember…”

 

“You were pretty young yourself,” mumbled Grillby. “It was,” he begun but stopped, shaking his head. “How about I show you.” And with these words, he got them all their coats and boots, collected all of the letters and lead them outside.

 

“What are we doing?” asked Sans confused as he watched Grillby gather up snow in front of the house.

Swabby's flame brightened up the surroundings, making the snow sparkle.

Fellby stood beside them, frowning as he watched what was Grillby doing.

 

“What are you doing?” Pyru questioned.

 

“This will be a snow-lantern,” replied Grillby smiling. “It's a way to get letters to Santa.”

 

“REALLY?!?” asked Papyrus. “And the letters get to Santa?”

 

“Yes,” stated Grillby firmly. “They will.”

 

“Are you making a snowperson?” asked Suny. “It looks like a snowperson!”

 

“It… is sort of similar,” chuckled Grillby. “Look. I make a big sphere out of the snow and then…” he paused as he heated up his flames to melt the inside of the sphere, hollowing it out.

 

“IT’S A HOLLOW BALL!” cried Suny, excited.

  
Grillby gave a quick nod.

 

Parz snuggled closer to Fellby’s heat. “But why are you doing this?”

  
“You'll see,” Grillby continued, rolling another sphere. “Next we need a smaller ball just like the first...” He hollowed this one out as well and placed it on top of the first one. Finally, he placed his hand inside the larger one, leaving a ball of fire burning bright and orange inside. “Now we put all of the letters into the upper ball,” he explained, “and then we close up the holes. The fire will burn through the night and, when it's out in the morning, the letters will be with Santa.”

 

“OH! IT’S A RITUAL!” cried Sans suddenly. “THAT’S SO COOL!”

 

Grillby chuckled a tiny bit. “You... could say that. But it only works on letters for Santa,” he added quickly.

Sans and Pyru had both already proven how creative they could get with rituals.

 

“Aww so we won't see the magic?” asked Pyru with a pout.

 

“It's a magic that you can't see,” Grillby informed softly.

 

“I don't remember anything like this…” mumbled Swabby after a while. “But I like it.”

 

“And how did you do it?” Fellby asked the yellow flame.

 

“We built a lantern out of wood and lit it on fire... but this is better,” mumbled Swabby.

 

“Oh…”

 

Meanwhile, Grillby had finished the snow-lantern with the children. “Let's head back inside,” he spoke, placing a hand on Sans’ and Papyrus’ shoulders.

 

-

The snow-lantern was dark and empty the following day and the children cheered at the thought of Santa receiving their letters.

 

-

 

Days seemed to pass rather quickly after that and Fellby found himself sitting in the living room once more with Saz and Parz both sleeping in his lap.

 

The tree looked stunning and the house smelled of cookies and other sweets.

Gyftmas Eve was finally here!

 

Grillby had a strong fire going in the fireplace while they all sat together, eating in the living room for once and telling stories.

Outside it was dark, however, Grillby’s and Swabby’s combined flames were more than enough to brighten up the whole room.

 

Fellby was unsure to be perfectly honest. He had no clue what Gyftmas even was... He could barely even remember the Winter's Turn that he celebrated with his parents in the hidden village and, recently, there were bits of pieces of memories from a time before that leaking into his mind that he just could not make sense of… And now suddenly it was Gyftmas and he had no clue what to make of it or what he should do. The whole Santa thing sounded charming and all but UGH it wasn’t anything like what he could recall.

Despite everything, it was nice. He was surrounded by warmth, great food and the kids. It felt so strange to belong to something again…

 

Fellby watched Grillby form snowflakes out of his own flames. His cousin always did love to show off his ability… though something about burning snowflakes was just wrong.

He gave a little huff and snuggled a bit deeper into the sweater when he thought no one was watching. It was warm and super soft, even if the design was incredibly ugly… Though Fellby knew he would never be able to show his face in Hotland again if anyone ever saw him wearing it!

 

The peaceful quiet was interrupted by a knock on the front door.

 

Swabby looked up confused, putting the book he was reading aside.

 

Grillby stood with a smile. “I wonder who that could be?” he asked as he moved towards the door. Fellby watched him confused and tensing up. It was a rule long since set up by Grillby that the children were not to answer the door. It was especially concerning because it was Winter's Turn or Gyftmas or whatever the fuck they called it now, so all monster should be at home with family...

 

Shouldn't they?

 

“Visitors?” mumbled Pyru, ready to slide from the couch and usher the others into hiding.

 

“OH!” spoke up Suny with delight. “MAYBE IT’S THE DOGS!”

 

“No, it couldn’t be,” mumbled Sans as he curled up in the now Grillby-less spot close to Papyrus. “They said they were gonna be busy…”

 

Fellby himself frowned wondering who it was himself.

 

“Right this way,” Grillby spoke up from the door as he leads their guest towards the Livingroom.

 

Their guest was Asgore.

It was painfully obvious Asgore.

He was still a big, fluffy hulk of a goat monster, more fur and beard than anything else.

The king wore a thick, red and white colored coat laced with green stitches and looked pretty much like the Santa Grillby and Swabby had described in their stories.

 

“Ho-ho-ho!” Asgore laughed, smiling as he looked around the room. “I heard there were six little skeletons here?”

  
“S-SANTA?” asked a wide-eyed Papyrus.

“It is indeed Santa,” Grillby agreed, stepping more into the room.

 

“SANTA!” cheered Suny, standing up and running to Asgore only to catch the tall monster’s leg in a hug. “YOU REALLY CAME TO US?!?”

 

“Ho ho ho,” the king chuckled, crouching down to hug Suny back.

 

Fellby felt a spike of white-hot jealously running through him, especially when he saw Sans and Papyrus moving closer to the king as well with Pyru following close behind them.

 

Saz and Parz stirred, looking towards Asgore with curiosity.

 

“IT IS SO GREAT YOU ARE HERE!” shouted Suny. “YOU BRING JOY!”

 

“Ho ho ho,” Asgore laughed out again, petting the children with his big fuzzy paw. “Of course I do and I bring you gifts,” he added, winking as he lowered the big satchel from his back. “Let’s see,” he mumbled to himself whilst searching through the various items within. “Ah, here it is.” With these words, the king pulled a box from the bag, wrapped in bright blue paper. “This one is for Sans.”

 

Sans blinked. “What? For me?”

 

“Of course,” chuckled Asgore, quickly looking towards the voice. “Ho ho ho.”

 

Sans walked forward slowly and retrieved his present from Santa. He looked over the box in wonder.

 

“Go ahead,” ushered Swabby. “Open it.”

 

Sans gave a small nod and swallowed hard before carefully undoing the wrapping paper and opening the small box. “Um…” Inside was a small plastic globe. Sans wasn’t quite sure what he should do with it though.

Grillby chuckled, reaching over to show Sans the small switch on the bottom and flicked it on.

The globe instantly casted specs of light onto the walls surround them, turning them into a sky full of stars. Sans was in love with it, barely noticing the tin of candy at the bottom of the box.

 

Asgore ruffled through his sack once more before pulling out another box wrapped in yellow paper along with a huge blue bow on top. “Ah,” he spoke out, “this one is for Suny.”

Suny squealed happily, running forwards and reaching up for the gift.  
“Ho ho ho,” the king chuckles out, handing the box down to the small skeleton.

  
Suny wasted no time in tearing apart the wrapping paper and throwing off the lid. “WOWIE,” he cheered, pulling out a big pack of crayons and parchment for drawing. Suny quickly hugged Santa’s leg once more before running over to join Sans, placing his tin of sugar-free candy aside for later as he showed his brother the large box of crayons.

 

“And next,” Asgore continued, holding out a red and blue stripped box, “is Papyrus.”

 

Papyrus ran forward. “I’M PAPYRUS!” he stated, holding his hands out for the present.

“Ho ho ho,” Asgore laughed once more, handing the box to the child before him.

Papyrus moved over to sit by Sans, showing off the box.

Sans chuckled. “I think you still got to open it, bro.”

“Oh,” Papyrus giggled out, turning the box over in his hands a few times before carefully peeling away the tape as he seen Sans do before. Once finished, he reached inside the box and pulled out a bright red plush car with enlarged eyes, quickly hugging it to himself. “I LOVE IT!” he shouts, candy tin totally forgotten.

 

Asgore retrieved the next present, a tiny box decorated with white paper and covered in colorful polka dots. “Then we have Pyru,” he states, looking over the remaining three skeletons.

 

Pyru gave a small nod, stepping forward slowly and reaching for his gift. “Um… thank-you,” he muttered, bowing his head bashfully. “Thank-you for the present.”

 

“Aww,” Swabby cooed. “Come here, Pyru, and open it with me. Okay?”

Pyru hurried to Swabby’s side at the words and began unwrapping the gift, peeking over his shoulder at Santa every once-in-a-while.

“Oh wow,” Swabby’s voice cut into his thoughts, “look what you got, Pyru.”  
“Huh?” the skeleton blinked, glancing into the now opened box. Inside lay a few music tapes alongside a small tin of hard candy. “Oh,” Pyru breathed out in awe. “Wow.”

 

“Ho ho ho,” cheered Asgore at seeing the delight on the boy’s face. “Now for the next gift,” he continued, rustling through the large sack once more only to pull out a pink box adorned with an elegant purple bow. “Ah! Here we go,” he spoke out, “this one is for Parz.”

 

Parz gulped, reaching out with one hand to cling to Fellby’s arm.

Fellby shot a quick glance to Grillby.

Grillby, in turn, gave a short nod.  
“Uh…” Fellby began, voice a bit awkward. “Go on, go get… get your gift.”

Parz hesitated, sliding from the flame’s lap and slowly making his way over to Santa. “Um…”

 

Asgore waited patiently, crouching down some so that he did not tower of the child quite as much. “It’s all right, little one,” he assured. “This one’s all yours.”

 

Parz hesitantly reached out for the box, watching the tall monster the whole while. The moment his fingers griped hold, he instantly turned and ran back to Fellby’s side, clutching it to his chest as he scrambled into the flame’s lap.

 

Fellby chuckled lightly, reaching down and petting over Parz’ skull. “So what do you got there, brat?”

 

It took a moment for Parz to calm himself. He tilted his head back at Fellby’s words, then looked back to the box. “I um…”

 

“It’s all right, Parz,” Swabby smiled over to the boy. “You can open it.”

Parz gulped again and slowly began opening the box.

“It’s better if you do it fast,” spoke Fellby over his shoulder, giving a deep chuckle.

As if on cue, Parz began tearing into the box, throwing the lid open to reveal a deep red scarf with dark tassels. His face betrayed nothing at first but he put it on right away, nuzzling into the soft fabric.

 

Fellby knew him well enough already to know that he was smiling, hidden behind the long cloth. “Hey, brat,” he spoke softly. “I think there’s something else there.”

Parz blinked, lowing the scarf to look inside the box once more. There, at the bottom of the box, lay a small stuffed bunny-bear holding a small tin of gummy candies. Parz gently picked up the toy, it’s fur seemed to be made from the same soft fabric as the scarf, and cuddled it close to his chest.

 

“Oooh,” whistled Fellby behind him, reaching out and stealing a gummy. “Candy.”

However, Parz seemed to pay no mind to the theft, still holding his new bunny-bear close.

 

“Now it’s your turn, Saz,” Grillby spoke up.

 

Saz shivered lightly, looking up towards Fellby for guidance.

“Go on,” assured Fellby gently. “I need more candy.”

With a small nod, Saz hoped down from the flames lap and carefully made his way over to Santa.

 

“Ho ho ho,” the king chuckled, “I haven’t forgotten you.” And with this, he pulled out a medium sized green box. “Last but certainly not least, is a gift for Saz.”

 

Saz gulped down his fear, reaching out to take the box. “Um,” he hesitated for a moment, looking up at the towering monster in red. “Th… uh… you,” he mumbled out shyly, blushing a deep red before running back to Fellby’s side.

Fellby laughed out, reaching down to pick Saz up and place the skeleton on his knee once more.

 

“WHAT DID YOU GET, SAZ?!?” questioned Suny, barely able to contain his excitement.

 

Saz glanced to Fellby for a moment before looking back to the box. Fellby had told Parz to hurry… He took a deep breath before tearing into the box, only to have a heavy book land in his lap. “Huh?” Saz blinked down at the book, picking it up and slowly flipping through the pages. It was filled with colorful pictures of plants and animals from the surface.

 

Fellby gathered the remains of the box, pulling out the small tin of candy before tossing the empty box aside. “Well, well,” he spoke up, petting Saz’ back. “Look there, you got yourself a book.”

 

“Aww,” whispered Swabby beside Grillby. “This is so sweet!”

 

Asgore gave a few more “Ho ho ho” and hugged each child again, save from Parz who hid himself within Fellby’s arms, before declaring that he had to go and bring joy to all the other children in Snowdin. He winked and told them, “Be good and I’ll visit again next Gyftmas,” before heading out the door.

 

Grillby must have planned this, Fellby thought to himself and felt a bit betrayed.

 

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Asgore spoke, sticking his head back into the room with a large smile.

 

Grillby seemed surprised himself, looking towards the king with a tilt of his head.

 

“I have presents for you too,” Asgore said softly while handing the flames each a present.

 

Fellby looked at the brightly colored box as if it would jump at him any given moment.

 

“Uh,” Swabby blinked, taking the blue colored box. “Thank-you, Santa?”

 

“Ho ho ho,” chuckled Asgore. “Merry Gyftmas!” And just like that, he was gone.

 

“OPEN YOUR PRESENTS,” Papyrus’ voice cut into each of their thoughts.

“HURRY HURRY HURRY!” agreed Suny, bouncing up and down in his seat.

 

All three of them received a tin of sweets just as the children had, though Grillby easily gave his over to Fellby who gave a thankful hum.

Grillby carefully removed a very elegant looking crystal plant which sparkled as the light of his flames hit its petals from his giftbox. He smiled softly and set it upon the living-room table.

Due to Snowdin's weather and Grillby being a fire elemental, plants were not normally used to decorate the house… but this one was just perfect!

 

Swabby received a long, shining piece of dark green fabric, which looked like a very big scarf and felt wonderfully soft and warm in his hands. He wrapped it around himself, smiling as he felt the fabric heat up around him as if he were being hugged.

 

Fellby blinked as he looked down upon a new pair of sunglasses, laying inside his own present. He did not want to show how much he was pleased about this but, well, it was hard. His sensitive eyes made it mandatory to wear them especially with all the snow and Swabby around and his current pair were old and had begun to crack around the edges some time ago… of course, his scuffles with the Royal Guard did not help the matter nor did the fact that there was such a large temperature difference between Hotland and Snowdin. He closed his eyes, removing the old pair and pulled on the new ones before looking around the room once more. They were perfect! “How did he…?”

 

“Asgore came over a few days ago,” whispered Grillby, leaning against him as Saz and Parz joined their brothers on the floor. “I gave him the presents for the children... but I didn't know he wrapped our gifts too.”

 

“Wait,” Fellby blinked up at his cousin. “You got me these?”

 

“Do you like them?”

 

“They... They’re all right,” mumbled Fellby. “But what about the stuff you got? You buy yourself gifts too?”

 

“No, I got it for Grillby,” corrected Swabby. “I sort of thought he doesn't have much for decor around here so... Well he told me once he liked the crystals in Waterfall...”

  
“They’re from Waterfall?” Fellby blinked looking at the crystal plant.

 

“Asgore must have added the sweets though,” chuckled Grillby.

 

“The cloth thing is from you too then?” questioned Fellby, nodding towards Swabby who was still wrapped up in the green fabric.

 

“Yes,” Grillby replied. “I saw it and knew he would like it.”

 

“Thank-you,” Swabby spoke softly as he snuggled deeper into the cloth. “It's really nice.”  
  
Grillby just chuckled at the obvious happiness of his friend.

 

Fellby unwrapped one of the pieces of candy in his lap. It was sweet chocolate. He wondered for a brief moment why there was coco in the underground but no mint. He had tried a while back to get his hands on the stuff but never had any luck, not even with Muffet helping. Oh well, at least he got sweets.

 

The children continued to play with their new gifts, Papyrus’ and Parz’ little stuffed animals even went on a rather interesting sounding adventure together under the Gyftmas tree.

Sans showed the others how far advanced his magic was by letting some of the glass ornaments they decorated the tree with fly around them while Swabby told them other Gyftmas-related stories.

 

Grillby summoned up his flames again, creating a mouse monster to dance in the air in tune to a story about the mouse monster dancer and the prince of the boss monster. He even let a bright yellow angel fly around the room while Swabby told them the story how the angel was supposed to guide monsters to freedom.

 

They ate candy together, save for Parz who opted for some nuts Grillby had in the kitchen, and ended up all snuggled together on the couch, the children slowly falling asleep as Swabby and Grillby spoke softly to one another.

 

Fellby pretended to be asleep too, resting his legs over his cousin’s lap. This was just so nice… though he still had the sinking feeling that it would not last and that something was going to happen…

 

“Fellby, I can hear you thinking,” said a gentle voice.

 

Fellby blinked his eyes open, staring wide-eyed at Grillby who was now leaning slightly over him.

 

Swabby had since fallen asleep, the children cuddled all around them.

 

“What?”

 

“Whatever you are thinking about...” begun Grillby gently while pulling a blanket over the parts of him that weren't covered by children. “It can rest. You should get some sleep too.”

 

Fellby blinked but could not stop the yawn from coming out. It was just so warm and nice…

 

“Merry Gyftmas.”

 

Maybe, just maybe, things really were going to be okay.

 

 

-

 

 

A few days later, the children were gathered in the living room playing with various toys around the still decorated tree as Fellby lounged on the couch watching. They all liked the tree a lot so the flames decided to keep it up for a few extra days but Gyftmas was ending…

 

They went through a lot of trouble getting the tree inside and Fellby really wasn't looking forward to removing it… Maybe they could figure out something whenever Grillby came back?

 

To be honest, Fellby kind of liked the tree now. The pine smell mixed perfectly with the scent of cinnamon and cookies coming from the kitchen and the lights brightened up the room just perfectly in the night…

 

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could hear the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace mixed with the sound of the children playing nearby and, in the background, the telltale clatter of Swabby doing the laundry in the basement… He wished this moment for last forever.

 

Suddenly, there was a single knock against the door.

 

“Hm?” Fellby sat up looking towards the door, wondering if Grillby had forgotten his keys when he left for the bar.

 

“MAYBE IT'S SANTA AGAIN!” cried Suny, running towards the door with the others.

 

Something about that didn't sit right with Fellby. “Hey, wait,” Fellby called out, getting tangled in the blankets as he tried to follow after the children.

 

Behind the door, however, was not the joyful spirit of kindness decorated in red and white.

Instead, there stood a tall skeleton wearing a rather ragged looking lab coat. He grinned down on them, eyes glowing with purple magic. “Found you,” he sneered as magic lashed out to bind the children, making them unable to move.  
  
Fellby came running towards the door. “YOU!” he growled out upon seeing the figure. His flames instantly shot up the spectrum as he came closer.

 

“Uncle Fellby,” whined Parz, tearing up. “Help!”

 

Sans and Pyru squirmed and struggled in the magic’s grasp to no avail.

 

“LET THEM GO,” Fellby screeched, flames flickering wildly as he bolted towards Gaster, lava forming in his hands.

 

“I think not,” Gaster sneered back, holding his hand out before Fellby’s chest.

 

Before the now purple flame had the chance to block, a bright wave of magic shot out from the skeleton’s hand, slinging him into the far wall.

 

“UNCLE FELLBY!”

 

He only heard the terrifying screams of the children before everything became dark.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D
> 
> :DD
> 
> :DDD
> 
> ... please don't hate us. But you all wanted the Gaster chapter, huh? Well you now get it. XD Please remember that there is still one School Chapter left, it will be probably up next and after that we will continue with the Gaster Chapters. 
> 
> Also: FANART! :D
> 
> By Dealdraws ((http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/))  
> Deal-draws' AU of our AU has Fellby being summoned away by a human. This is part art of it, part questions answered as to what will happen if this happens. :D Check out their tumblr too, they got some nice stuff there. (http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/155359985031/wait-if-she-summons-fellby-how-do-the-others#tumblr_notes
> 
> There was also fanart on deviantart. :D 
> 
> By Lunarwinglatias (http://lunarwinglatias.deviantart.com)
> 
> A really beautiful piece that collects different AUs (including ours) together with the beautiful song "Arms" by Christina Perri  
> http://lunarwinglatias.deviantart.com/art/Arms-Undertale-AU-Lyric-Comic-650202158
> 
> A scene from "The Support", where Suny hugs Swabby (really cute!)  
> http://lunarwinglatias.deviantart.com/art/The-Support-Comic-Read-Descripton-644435077
> 
> A pic of our three flames, Swabby, Grillby and Fellby  
> http://medicus1011.deviantart.com/art/3-Flames-624215358
> 
>  
> 
> By Nodiel-71 (http://nodiel-71.deviantart.com)
> 
> A nice 3D Fellby, sitting on the couch and smoking. :D  
> http://nodiel-71.deviantart.com/art/Fellby-610644068
> 
> Also, there is an ask-blog out there that got inspired by our story. ^^ Mind you, the characters and situations differ at times a LOT from our story, but if you want more Flames-and-skeletons-family stuff with a different spin to it, why not check it out? ^^  
> https://ask-daddies-fire.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also, please check our tumblrs for questions we answered, there were a lot in the last month and some informations we gave there might take a lot of time to be revealed in the story otherwise. You can also ask us stuff too. Our tumbrs are  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com and http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com
> 
> Thank you to everybody who is liking, commenting and sharing the story with others. ^^ See ya next time!
> 
> ((Also, if there is somebody out there willing to do it: Please somebody HAS to do a parody of the cats with cucumber vids with Papyrus and the Pine-cone. XD Like, there is Papyrus, happily doing a rubric's cube and you put a pine-cone at the edge of his vision. He looks and jumps up like a scared cat. If there was an Underground Youtube you would know that SOMEBODY would play that prank on him. :D) Just... let that image settle a bit, okay? Okay. :D))


	23. The Path to the Future - School Day Jitters Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion to the School Day Jitter Arc! :D Where fluff happens, Fellby thinks a lot, Grillby gets to be very happy, some tests are made and the best solution for a very complicated problem is found.

The happy reunion between Fellby and the children did not go unnoticed even though they seemed to have forgotten that there were in fact other people in the universe.

Doggo let out a quiet “aww” as Greater Dog and Lesser Dog yipped happily.

Dogamy and Dogaressa just smiled at the display of happy puppies, tails waggling.

Swabby on the other hand was chuckling slightly at the pile of bones that now was attached to Fellby and Grillby came closer too, his flames flickering with happiness.

 

It took a while until Fellby attempted to break their embrace. However, it took only seconds for him to realize that the children refused let go any time soon. He wiggled his legs and arms a bit yet, still, the children held tight. He was trapped for real in a skeleton hug trap.

 

It was a rather amusing sight.

 

“Told you they would be overjoyed to see you,” chuckled Swabby.

 

“Ugh,” groaned Fellby, pouting yet somehow managing to look content like this. There were after all worse fates than this.

 

Swabby giggled at the sound, earning a glare from the blue flame. “Are you trapped?”

 

“We are not letting you go this time,” declared Sans.

 

Pyru quickly backed Sans up. “Yeah! You’re ours now.”

 

Even Saz nodded, holding on to Fellby's jacket and looking up to the flame with an almost pleading look in his big eyes.

 

Fellby felt his heart melt at the sight. Seriously, the children should NOT be this cute! “Ugh,” he mumbled out, slumping back against the booth, arms tightening again around them. “Fine.”

 

The children cheered at their victory.

 

“YOU WERE GONE FOREVER!” accused Papyrus, hugging onto Fellby’s arm tightly.

 

“It’s been like… two days!”, Fellby said, his tone flat but his flames betraying that he wasn't that serious.

 

“No,” protested Suny. “It’s been more than that!”

 

Fellby couldn’t help but to grin. “Fine… three days.”

 

“IT WAS A MONTH!” cried out Sans.

 

“THAT’S TEN TIMES THREE DAYS!” Parz informed.

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Saz quietly, still clinging to the flame’s jacket.

 

Grillby and Swabby both chuckled softly at the exchange while Grillby moved to sit down now beside Fellby.

 

Fellby pretended to be shocked. “Since when did you know how to count?” he asked while petting over Saz' skull.

The little skeleton leaned into the touch.

Something in Fellby’s soul ached. He really had been gone for far too long…

 

“We have math at school,” informed Saz after a few pets.

 

“Yeah, math is cool,” chirped Pyru. “And there is a LOT more we do in math than only count, you know?”

 

“Plus, dad showed us how to count before we went to school,” Sans added.

 

Fellby chuckled softly. “Oh did he… huh?” His mind quickly caught up with the small, interesting detail in the spoken words. “Wait...  _dad_ ?” asked Fellby, blinking down at Sans. 

 

The bar just became dead silent, all eyes now in Fellby and Sans.

Sans’ eyes turned dark, a slight tremor going through his body.

 

Up until now, Sans had a really good day. School was super interesting and he quickly made a handful of friends… It was pretty eye-opening that most of them knew Grillby. He seemed to be well-liked in town and most people knew stories about him. Many told him he was a great barkeeper and listener and just a good monster.

 

And nearly all of them called Grillby his dad or father.

 

It gave him lots of food for thought, in any case.

He and his brothers called Swabby and Fellby their uncles for a while now… but Grillby was just Grillby. Or the angel… There was not really any other word that could describe him.

 

Until school.

 

Sans watched the other children in school closely. He saw how Snow-hopp would always get picked up from school by his parents, watched how his father would hug him and place the small bunny on his shoulder. He saw Midnight, a cat monster, being picked up by her two mothers and how they would nuzzle her and called her their little kitten. He heard multiple other children talk about their parents; how they read them stories, showed them how to count and go on trips with them into the snow or Waterfall to the Wishing Room… and so much more!

 

The thing is, Sans could see Grillby doing the same. Scratch that, Grillby already did most of that with them.

 

“ _Let go of my children this instant!”_

 

He was their angel yet, at the same time, Sans thought that ‘dad’ or ‘father’ could maybe describe him too. Maybe. If Grillby was okay with that.

He gathered from other kids at school that the title dad had to be offered... There were a few monster children there that were adopted meaning they didn't came from the parents they had now but got new parents along the line. It fit into their situation very well, given the circumstances. Grillby had sat them down weeks before school and explained to them that he, Swabby and Fellby were now their family and that there were documents proving so.

But he only told them the flames were now their legal guardians and unlike Swabby and Fellby who told the children to call them uncle, Grillby never said anything about how he wanted to be called.

 

It was difficult and Sans really did not want to make a mistake. He understood that Grillby wouldn’t be angry or do anything if he did, but still...

 

Some habits were hard to ditch.

 

So he hugged Grillby when the flame picked them up that day for lunch and Grillby had hugged back, like always. He kept them all warm and safe for the trip to the bar. Just like Snow-Hopp had described what a father is and Sans, in the back of his mind, began to call Grillby dad.

 

Just to test it.

 

And it sounded right.

However, he did not mean to say it out loud.

He wanted to test it out some more and wanted to ask the others about their thoughts…

It just wasn't supposed to be that way just yet. He hadn't planned this at all. It just...

 

Slipped out.

 

So here he was, frozen to the spot, staring between Fellby and Grillby and looking like a deer in headlights. “I... uh... I...” he stumbled out, his little body starting to shake. The rattling of his bones was loud against the silent room.

 

Grillby stared down at the skeleton, his flames flickering as his soul and mind filled with a storm of emotions. “You…”

 

The other children were watching them too.

Saz and Pyru both stared at Sans while Papyrus did not seem to know exactly what was going on.

 

Suny was looking back and forth between Grillby and Sans whereas Parz just lay his head against Fellby’s shoulder, seemingly not caring about the conversation at hand, his eyes were pinned on Sans however betraying that he was just as invested as the others. 

 

Swabby remained silent himself, just watching his cousin.

Fellby reached out suddenly, placing his free hand on Sans' skull, feeling the tremors of the little skeleton.

 

Sans did not seem to notice the touch. 

 

Grillby took a small step forward.

 

Suny blinked at the movement, eyes focusing more on Grillby and finally bringing himself to react.

“Yeah, you're our daddy, aren't you?” he questioned. “You do all the stuff a daddy is suppose to do... and we live with you and you take care of us…” Suny crossed his arm and nodded to himself as if he just figured out a very obvious puzzle. “So that makes you our daddy.”

 

Grillby froze again, now looking between Sans and Suny. “I…” he couldn’t even find the words. He moved quickly, crossing the little distance between them and dropped to his knees before the children.

 

Sans let go of Fellby and turned fully to Grillby. “I... I...” he stuttered out, his whole body trembling.

 

Grillby couldn't take it anymore. He reached out quickly, hugging Sans softly to himself, fighting against the tears welling up in his eyes. “Sans,” he whispered out, wanting to speak more than ever in his life yet words just left him. “I... shh...” he mumbled, his voice barely a whisper though he really had no idea of what to do in this situation other than hold the child, HIS child, close and try to sooth him.

 

Sans held on tightly to the flame, his tremors slowly calming as his tiny fingers clawed into Grillby’s shirt.

 

“I'm... honored...” whispered out Grillby, collecting everything he had to talk. “That you see me as... as your father.”

 

Sans made a tiny sound at that.

Grillby nuzzled the skeleton gently before his look fell on Suny. He reached out and pulled the smaller boy into the hug too. “I...” he begun, his emotions becoming too strong for him. “I... love you all so much... my children...”

 

There were sniffles and tears coming from Sans.

Suny just hugged onto the two tightly.

 

Grillby was never this happy. Terrified, yes, because he did not know the first thing about being a parent and the few experiences he had with his own father were... not the best. How could he even be a father when he had no idea of how one should act?

Still… these were his kids. They TRUSTED and needed him. And he would do his very best to be the father they deserved. He promised them then and there.

 

The moment was ruined when Fellby raised his now free leg and pushed at Grillby's shoulder. “Hey, don't you have work to do?”

 

With a spark of irritation and a good helping of pettiness Grillby seldom felt, he took Fellby's leg with one hand and placed it firmly down on the ground without letting the two children go. He was having a moment here after all and while he did not allow himself to be selfish very often, now was one of these rare occasions.

 

Fellby made an irritated sound at being denied.

 

Papyrus, however, thought the sound to be one of distress and patted Fellby's leg which he was still hugging onto. “Don't worry, Uncle Fellby, I'll still hug you,” he spoke out, nuzzling into the flame a bit for good measure.

 

Parz, hearing Papyrus’ word, gave a little grunt, tightening his arms as well.

 

Grillby finally stood up, Sans and Suny still in his arms, and sat down with both of them.

Fellby pulled Saz, Parz and Papyrus fully onto his lap in turn.

 

Pyru climbed onto Swabby's lap, leaning back against the yellow flame. “Aww now Uncle Swabby’s all lonely.”  
  
Swabby giggled out, petting over Pyru. “Well I have you, don’t I?”

 

“Why are you here anyway, Uncle Swabby?” asked Pyru curiously.

 

“Well I came here after we got you to school,” Swabby explained. “And I made lunch for you today.”

 

“Really?” asked Suny, turning around a bit in Grillby's hold to look at him. “What'd you make?”

 

“Did you make what we talked about?” Papyrus questioned, trying and failing to sound sneaky.

 

“Fellby here already had two slices of pie,” chuckled Swabby, his words met with cheers. “I made some pie for you too but for lunch there are baked potatoes and cream waiting for you.”

 

“Cream?” asked Fellby suddenly. “What the hell is that?”

 

“Language,” mumbled Grillby barely audible, still hugging his children tightly. 

 

“You will see,” replied Swabby with a grin. “You'll like it, I’m sure.”

 

“Uncle Swabby made that for us a few times,” Pyru chimed in.

 

“You weren't home,” mumbled Sans. “So you can't know.”

 

Fellby huffed a bit at the words.

Sans did not bother to look at him. Instead, he nuzzled a bit deeper into the warm arms around him, looking up to Grillby. “Dad?” he asked, voice quiet and testing.

 

Grillby looked down at the skeleton. “Yes?”

 

“Just trying,” answered Sans, smiling brightly which, in turn, made Grillby blink and smile back.

 

Suddenly, Fellby reached over and plucked Suny from Grillby's lap, holding the small skeleton close to himself. “Now shoo,” he mumbled, waving Grillby off.

 

Grillby blinked at that. Did Fellby seriously just steal one of his children? Grillby gave his cousin a soft glare.

 

The children, however, seemed to find this all hilarious, giggling slightly at the whole ordeal.

Even Suny seemed to be in good spirits about being stolen away, giggling and settling back into Fellby's arms while hugging Saz to himself.

 

“What are you gonna do about it?” Fellby prompted smirking at Grillby, obviously guessing exactly what his cousin thought in the moment.

 

Grillby just glared harder.

 

Swabby finally moved away, sitting Pyru down on the counter of the bar and petting his skull softly. “I better go get the food,” he told the boy. “I’ll be back.”

 

Grillby used the moment of distraction to lean over and steal Papyrus away from the blue flame, hugging him to Sans and himself while somehow managing to keep a straight face the entire time.

 

Fellby gaped at him, glaring.

Grillby had the immature impulse to stick his tongue out at Fellby. He suppressed the impulse only just though could not help the devious smile from appearing on his lips.

 

Saz, in the meantime, snuggled deeper into Fellby's hold, surrendering to Suny's hold. “You’re not leaving again?” he asked sleepily, distracting Fellby for a moment from glaring at Grillby.

 

“Huh? Nah, kiddo,” Fellby mumbled. “I’m staying right here,” he stated before turning his glare back on the orange flame. “Quit stealing my kids!”

 

Grillby just continued to grinned at him. “Mine,” he replied, hugging Sans and Papyrus to himself a bit more, prompting both of them to giggle more.

 

Fellby attempted to steal them back only to meet with a glare. “What the hell?” cursed Fellby frustrated before his gaze wondered towards Pyru still sitting there unclaimed. He quickly snatched the skeleton up and cuddled him close instead. He was aware that the dog guards were all laughing at the exchange but, quite frankly, he didn't care one bit. “You've got customers to wait on!” Fellby tried once more.

 

Grillby, to the shock of everyone within the room, just shrugged the comment off, dodging Fellby’s attempt to swipe and kept hugging the two children in his arms.

 

The tension was interrupted by Swabby who came in with his arms full of plates and calling out, “Food!”

 

Fellby used the distraction and tried his luck in snatching Sans or Papyrus up again only to have Grillby evaded once more.

 

“Dad,” giggled out Sans at the sudden movement, prompting Grillby to smile even more, his flames flickering in pure joy.

 

Swabby placed the food on the table, smiling at the scene. It was amazing how happy Grillby looked. Still, this had to be dealt with… and Fellby looked as though he would lose patience with their cousin any time. “Just let him have the kids for a moment, Grillby,” Swabby said softly, winking at the larger elemental. “I can always help you get them back later.”

 

“Hey!” protested Fellby.

It seemed to convince Grillby, however. He sighed deeply and looked down at Sans and Papyrus, tightening his hold on them for just a moment before giving them over to Fellby as well. He could not prevent himself from giving Fellby a look, though.

 

They were still his children after all.

 

However Fellby seemed to not even notice, to absorbed with cuddling the children again, all ambitions to ‘get free’ of them earlier forgotten.

 

Luckily, the children were good sports. They were content, giggling and hugging back.

 

Swabby chuckled as he placed the plates of food properly on the counter so that the children could eat as soon as Fellby would let them.

 

Grillby cleaned up a bit, a tiny bit embarrassed by his public display of... well, everything. Fellby and the children had this effect on him, causing him forget that there was anybody else in the room… or the whole world for that matter. Stars, he loved his family so much! His mind was still reeling from Sans calling him dad. Grillby shook his head, glancing down only to have his eyes fall on a small amount of money laying on the counter.

 

“Your boyfriend walked out in a huff by the way,” Fellby offered suddenly, with a slight smirk and something in his eyes Grillby couldn't place.

 

“What?” Grillby questioned as he fully realized the sentence. He understood each word on its own but the combination made no sense for him.

 

“Oooh I thought Doggo ran into a door?” Swabby interrupted with a raised brow.

 

Fellby gave a shrug. “It’s funny when he does it.”

 

“Fellby!”

 

Grillby just shook his head while Swabby and Fellby squabbled goodheartedly and collected the money. It was the exact mount the monster had owed him, no tip. Grillby frowned a bit. For a monster that claimed to know people and places, they sure were a cheapskate. Not that Grillby really NEEDED money…

 

“That monster was very rude,” Dogaressa finally spoke out.

 

There was an edge in her voice that Grillby knew. She sometimes got like that when she was protective of something. She got like that with the boys, for example. Grillby wondered shortly what happened but somehow the look in the dog guard’s eyes and how Lesser Dog was slightly grinding his teeth prevented him from asking. Maybe it was better that he did not know the truth of the matter…  
Still, Fellby’s comment made no sense to him. For one, Grillby was fairly certain that the Madjick was not male. It was rude to just assume so.

 

“What's a boyfriend?” asked Saz with large, round eyes.

 

“A word Fellby uses in mocking,” informed Grillby finally, sighing lightly.

 

Saz seemed to be satisfied with this answer and nuzzled into Fellby and his brothers again, a small smile on his face.

 

“Well uhm... not quite only that,” Fellby muttered out.

 

“What is it then?” Sans inquired, looking back to his uncle.

Grillby tilted his head lightly, listening to the blue flames as well. He was curious about what Fellby would say.

Saz too seemed interested.

 

“Uh...” Fellby hesitated, suddenly put on the spot. It was clear that he had not thought he’d be asked to explain. “Well... it's... when you got a... uhm... partner who um… is a boy so he’s a… he’s a boyfriend.”

  
“Shouldn't it be a boy-partner?” Sans questioned.

 

“But the princess in Mettaton's show talks about a husband,” mumbled out Papyrus. “Not a boy-partner.”

 

“I’LL TELL YOU WHEN YOU’RE OLDER!” Fellby shouted out finally with a hint of desperation before pausing and thinking it over for a moment. “Or better, GRILLS will tell you when you are old enough.”

 

Grillby sighed at that, returning to his work. When he brought the dogs a new round of drinks for their trouble, he asked them with a few signs if there was anything else that happened while he was away.

 

“Well, nothing much besides the Madjick getting REALLY rude,” mumbled Doggo. “I mean, he didn't move on purpose that one time... so no, everything was fine.”

 

Grillby nodded at that, frowning a bit at the behavior from the Hotland customer.

 

Finally Fellby sat the children down, keeping Saz and Parz on his knees while Sans, Papyrus, Pyru and Suny stood before him.

Swabby took the opportunity to bring the still-steaming potatoes with fresh cream over to the children so they could start eating. “So,” he hummed, eager for some gossip. “What exactly happened?”

 

“Some asshole thought he'd come in here and start eyeing up Grills here,” mumbled Fellby offhandedly as he helped Saz and Parz get better grips on their spoons.

  
“Language, Fellby,” reminded Swabby easily. 

 

“Eyeing me up?” whispered Grillby without much voice as he walked back to the others. He wasn't a stranger to flirting and casual relationships. After all, there were generations of monsters meeting and falling in love in his bar… But the Madjick? Grillby really could not remember anything that seemed flirty.

 

Even if there was, it was common knowledge that flame elementals aren't monsters for casual dating.

Flames do not have a physical body unlike other monster species, only a core surrounded by fire and magic. They lacked the biological and physical body for that sort of casual attraction, having only their souls to share their emotions and selves in an intimate way. The very nature of this led to flame elementals to stay mostly amongst themselves and for offspring, for the most part, to occur only between flames with other flames…

Everyone in the underground SHOULD know that... If someone was just in search of casual, non-heat-related fun then flames aren't the ones you ask for it.

Flames either love somebody with their whole self and share their souls or, well, not.

 

THIS WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE! So it was impossible for this whole thing... right?

 

“Ugh Grills,” huffed Fellby. “Seriously he was all over you!”

 

“No?” mumbled Grillby quietly before shrugging. To be honest, he could not fully remember what that monster even conversed about. “They... talked... about things.”

 

Swabby chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

 

“He was hitting on you,” growled Fellby.

 

“Really?” questioned Grillby while sitting down, looking skeptic. “I didn't notice. Are you sure?” Grillby was unconvinced, Fellby had a way to misunderstand things after all.

 

“UGH,” huffed Fellby frustrated. “How could you NOT notice?”

 

Grillby shrugged once more. He was pretty sure there was nothing to notice. The more likely explanation was that it was just some monster from the big city acting rude… The densely-packed population there made for a lot of stress after all and there were still some monster there that... well... were hurt or desperate enough to acquire LOVE one way or another.

 

Few monsters could handle that well.

 

Of course, the Madjick hadn't had any, Grillby would have known otherwise. But he knew from tales and some of his own experiences that Hotland and Capitol had problems. And these problems didn't leave the monsters there unaffected.

 

Fellby’s face fell dead-pan. “You serious right now?”

 

Grillby shrugged in response.

 

“Well, that explains that,” chuckled Swabby.

Grillby smiled at the yellow flame gratefully, thankful that Swabby understood.

However, Fellby would not give up so easily. “Grills, I tell you, he was trying to hook up with you!”

 

Grillby blinked at him. Surely his cousin was mistaken.

Even Swabby laughed out at that. “Fellby, we are FLAMES,” he chuckled, yellow flames dancing in mirth. “This wouldn’t have been barking up the wrong tree, it would have been running into the entirely wrong forest!”

 

“And I tell you he was stupid enough to do it,” huffed Fellby. “Besides, some people like a challenge. Even if it's stupid.”

 

Grillby just shook his head.

 

Fellby rolled his eyes and saw the dogs doing the same. Hmpf at least some people were on his side here. “Grills, the only way he could have made it more obvious was if he suddenly pulled you down and started making out with you.”

 

“You are seeing things,” the bartender whispered.

 

Fellby made another frustrated noise. “I'm not,” he growled out. He was met with more disbelieving and amused looks from the two flames before him. “Ugh,” he huffed once more before taking a deep breath and leaning back in his seat, looking away. “I give up. See how much I care if he comes back and does just that.”

 

And, with that, all was silent again.

 

In the meantime, the children had finished their meal and were giving the flames curious looks, ones of which Grillby could only imagine would lead to some rather interesting questions in the near future. Questions he had yet no idea how to answer.

 

Sans made a small sound to get their attention. “Uh... don't we have to go back?”

 

“Yeah,” chipped in Pyru. “We have our afternoon clubs today!”

 

“Aww we didn't even get to tell Uncle Fellby about school,” Saz mumbled out crestfallen.

 

Pyru made big puppydog eyes before turning to Fellby. “You are still here when we come back?”

 

“Not at the bar,” Fellby remarked, looking out of the window. There were still parts of him that wanted to go back to the original plan: Get home, get an oil bath, get Swabby to make more food, cuddle his little skeletons. He blinked when he saw movement out of his peripheral vision, looking down at six pairs of puppydog eyes and pouting faces. The ‘cuddle his little skeletons’ part just gained more importance. “Yeah uh I'll be at Grills... gotta lay low a while after all,” he added with a wink.

His excuse went over all of the children’s heads and lead both flames to frown.

 

Parz used the moment to nuzzle into Fellby lightly, seemingly happy that his uncle promised to stay.

 

“Just make sure you're up when we get home,” chirped Suny happily.

 

“YEAH,” added Papyrus in full excitement, “WE HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT SCHOOL!”

 

Sans gave a single nod. “There are tons of stuff.”

“AND YOU HAVE TO EAT UNCLE SWABBY’S PIE,” shouted Suny.

 

Grillby chuckled at the show of enthusiasm. “I'll take them back to school,” he explained as he stood up, getting into his coat again before turning to help the children with their own. “Will you go on home from here?” Grillby inquired after a moment, turning to Fellby. He couldn’t help but to glance towards Swabby.

The storm was still pretty bad.

Swabby would be stuck here until he returned with the children... and Grillby still was not sure if Fellby would want to walk through the mess out there alone either.

 

“Yeah, yeah whatever,” mumbled Fellby, waving off Grillby. “I’ll do my thing, don't worry.”

 

The children had since climbed down from their seats in order to be redressed for the weather.

 

“And you’ll pick us up after the clubs and bring us to Uncle Fellby, daddy?” asked Suny while taking Grillby's hand, ready to walk back to school.

 

Grillby felt himself melting just a little bit more at being called dad. He zipped Saz' jacket up before nodding to Suny, unable to help the large smile on his face. “Yes,” he whispered out while Papyrus took his free hand.

 

Saz walked back to Fellby to hug him shortly, muttering “you promised to be there” to him before joining his brothers.

 

“I'll be waiting,” Fellby assured gently causing Saz to beam.

 

Grillby nodded at him and turned around with the children, keeping them close and warm as they left the bar.

 

The shine of his orange light slowly disappeared in the distance.

 

 

“I wonder where they got the whole dad thing from,” Swabby mused as soon as they were alone. “Regardless, Grillby seems happy.”

 

Fellby gave a hum in reply, still looking in the direction where the children disappeared. “Other kids most likely,” he finally mumbled out, turning his attention back to the yellow flame.

 

Swabby was still smiling, his bright flames flickering happily. “And that's the reason they should go to a school... to learn stuff like this,” he replied, giving a small nod as if in approval. “Besides the obvious reasons, that is.”

 

Fellby just rolled his eyes, unable to deny it. Their cousin really did look happy. He gave a deep sigh suddenly, feeling the familiar ache.

 

He still missed his parents. A lot, actually.

He couldn’t help but to wonder if they would have liked the boys… What the boys would even call them?!? His mother would’ve been thrilled had they called her grandma…

 

Best not think about it too much… it wouldn’t change what was done.

 

Swabby's smile has faded, a serious look overtaking his features as he watched Fellby. “We need to talk,” he stated, sitting down beside the taller monster. “About Saz and Parz. They told me… that they are always in pain. Especially while using their hands.”

 

Fellby blinked at that. They were still in pain?

 

Swabby must have caught the look because he lowered his voice somewhat. “Wanna have that chat here or in the back?” he asked softly.

 

Fellby did not even bother answering, just standing up and walking into the kitchen again. He would NOT discuss stuff like that out in the open for anybody to hear.

 

Swabby took the hint and followed after him.

 

The kitchen still smelled wonderfully of apple pie with a hint of baked potato and burgers.

There was still a half-empty tea cup sitting on the small table in the corner where two chairs with soft pillows and a blanket resided.

 

Fellby let himself fall into one of the chairs.

 

“Did they ever tell you?” Swabby questioned, sitting down himself. “Parz even said they are USE to being in pain all the time...”

 

“No shit, just look at them... you wouldn't have to wager much to figure that out but…” Fellby muttered. “Shit.”

 

He had known.

He always checked their HP.

Every time he helped them eat or dress. Every time they would climb into his lap or lay against his side. Every time he touched them. Always.

He could see the little signs and tried to help as carefully as possible… though, sadly, he was never actually trained in the art of healing. Everything he could do was self-taught and, well, even some of that had been forgotten after hiding it away for so long…

 

It's been centuries and he still couldn't bear for anybody to know that he had healing magic. The thought alone filled him with panic.

 

But he still could do SOMETHING about it!

Yet… he hadn’t been there…

 

“Yeah... they... they were so...” mumbled Swabby before shaking his head, words leaving him.

 

Fellby could sympathize, he felt the same.

 

“Whatever Gaster did to them, still hurts them. A lot,” Swabby continued, looking sadly at the half-empty mug in front of him. “Parz can't learn signing at the moment due to the pain... They agreed that Asklepios can look at their hands soon... but...” he made a helpless gesture, sighing deeply.

 

“There's no need for that snake,” growled Fellby. “Why do you always want to get him involved?”

 

“Because he is a healer and can help them. Fellby, their hands got... got hurt a lot. They can barely use them. They need a healer for that.”

 

“And what the fuck is he suppose to do about it?” huffed Fellby. It wasn't fair, he had healing magic too yet couldn't help the kids so this feathered quack shouldn't be able to either. That and being so close to another healer still made him uncomfortable.

 

“I don't know, help them so they don't have to be in pain,” answered Swabby with a hint of irritation in his voice. “I am not a healer, I can’t do anything but try to get them help.”

 

“Fine, whatever,” Fellby grumbled under his breath. He did not want the children to continue being in pain yet he still hated the idea of the healer having his grubby hands all of his boys! “But only if they agree to it. I don't trust that bastard near the kids.”

 

“They did agree to it. Both of them.”

 

Fellby had feared that. “What happened?”

 

“They told me,” answered Swabby quietly while looking down at his own hands. “Parz was very out of it after their first day... His hands were hurting and he told me so. Him and Saz… they also kept asking for you, by the way.” He paused here, glancing up at the blue flame before him. “When I offered seeing Asklepios, they both agreed.”

 

“Does Grills know?” Fellby questioned, trying his hardest to ignore the tugging sensation in his soul. The two had been calling for him yet he wasn’t there…

 

“Not all of it but... that they are hurting? Yes. That was why I came to the school today,” replied Swabby. “We talked to the teacher so that Saz and Parz wouldn’t have to do something that hurt them.”

 

“And the teachers?”

 

“They know that something happened to them and that it still hurts their hands.”

 

“The boys like ‘em?”

 

Swabby nodded. “Yeah, they are pretty nice and know what they are doing.”

 

Fellby stayed silent for a long moment at this. What should he say? What COULD he say? “They uh really like school then?” he finally asked. “All of them?”

 

He almost wanted Swabby to answer no. To have a reason to keep them for himself just a tiny bit longer. On the other hand, he DID understand that it wasn't good for them to keep inside all the time. He DID understand their need for school, he just... didn't like it.

 

“Yeah,” replied Swabby. “Even Parz seemed to enjoy it... he likes cooking class because it's a rather quiet class and Saz really likes history.”

 

Fellby blinked. “History? Seriously?”

 

Did Saz really like boring stuff like that?

Fellby was surprised when Swabby gave him an actual glare.

 

“Don't you dare discourage him,” Swabby spoke with more heat than Fellby would have expected from him. “Saz really needs something he himself enjoys and not just doing things Parz likes... He needs something for himself.”

 

“I won't, I won't, geez,” Fellby defended himself, holding out his hands to calm Swabby down. “But why couldn't he like something useful…”

 

Swabby snorted but did seem to calm. “Like what? History is just as useful as anything else,” he informed. “But it’s not about that, it's about... things he enjoys. And he needs that. Really.”

Fellby made a little sound at that. He KNEW this already.

“Please be supportive of him and don't make him feel he should like something else,” added Swabby in a sighing manner. “He and Parz always look at you... and I am very worried about both of them... Saz admitted hurting only after Parz had said so. He even carried Parz' book on the way home…”

 

“The kids got issues,” muttered Fellby with a sigh. He always had known, it was impossible not to. He had tried to help... Stars, the worst was the whole tooth mess which he still wasn't sure why Grillby had never said anything about it...

 

“Yeah,” agreed Swabby with a deep sigh. “All of them and a lot of it. Even Suny and Papyrus who may be the most stable of them all,” he muttered before giving a small shake of his head and looking back at the dark shades, unable to make out if Fellby’s eyes were on him or not. “Please don't stay away that long again.”

 

Fellby felt himself swallowing at the tone and look. Shit, he really fucked up. He fucked up so much and he hadn't even meant to. “I wasn't gone that long...” he tried to say but it came out unconvincing even to his own ears.

 

“You were gone a month,” Swabby mumbled. “That's... pretty long.”

 

Fellby... well, he knew that already. It was long, too long. He wanted to say sorry but the words just wouldn’t form.

 

“Are you okay?” asked Swabby suddenly, leaning forward with a frown.

 

“I'm fine,” the blue flame said quickly, moving back against his own chair. “I told you before, didn't I?”

 

“And I told you before that you don't have to bullshit me,” reminded Swabby. “You are not really fine are you? You were thinner than usual when I hugged you earlier.” Swabby gave a quick glance over of Fellby’s condition. “In what kind of trouble were you? Some where you didn't get much food I think.”

 

“I've been moving around a lot,” said Fellby vaguely. There was a heist and some other stuff that went wrong, not to mention that the guards were chasing him for stuff he didn’t even know had happened and was even less involved with. Yeah, food wasn't a big option then. He couldn't even get to Muffet's on bad days.

 

“Meaning you ran from guards again, huh?” mumbled Swabby, still following his original string of thought. “You know, Grillby meant it when he said he would help you.”

 

Yeah as if Grillby would hold his neck out for a criminal…

Okay, that wasn't right. He already DID. He even made him an official guardian of the kids! Something Fellby still couldn’t wrap his mind around.

 

“I don't need his help,” huffed Fellby after a moments pause.

 

“You do know we care about you. We don't call you family just for fun,” Swabby countered. “I'm just saying... you... you told me about the stuff you went through during the war. I haven't told Grillby about that yet and I won't as long as you don't wish for me to and I just want you to know that... you can talk to me. I promise it won't leave the room if you want it that way.”

 

It was a kind offer. Swabby was so nice and understanding.

 

It drove Fellby CRAZY. “Okay so you've gotten everything figured out,” he growled out. “How do you plan to get home then, candle?” he sneered.

 

He regretted his words the moment he saw the expression on Swabby’s face before the flame looked away.

 

“No need to get hurtful, you know?” he mumbled out, looking to the small window. “I guess I’ll have to wait for Grillby...”

 

“Didn't sound like he was planning on coming back any time soon,” Fellby replied and instantly felt like punching himself. What was he even doing?

 

Swabby just took a deep breath. “It's not about me in the moment,” he stated, voice even. “I am offering you help. If you don't want it then fine.”

 

“Well I'm pretty sure I can make it to the house just fine on my own.”

 

Swabby took another deep breath. He looked upset now, his flames flickering weakly. “Just... remember the promise you made to the kids,” he finally mumbled out. “And I didn't lie when I said that I'd be there if you need somebody to listen to you.”

 

Fellby blinked, strange feelings he couldn't really name churning within his soul. “I…” he finally mumbled out after a few seconds of silence. “Uh… That is… It’s getting boring here.”

 

“Well you can either sit down in the front again or you can go home,” Swabby replied still watching the window.

 

UGH, Fellby couldn't stand it anymore. “Damnit, Grills,” he cursed their cousin as he stood up, looking down at the smaller elemental. “Close the fucking store.”

 

“Uh what?” asked Swabby surprised.

 

“Close the fucking bar,” repeated Fellby. “You deal with ‘em more than me so tell 'em to scram already.”

 

“Okay? Uh... why though?” Swabby questioned as he retrieved the keys from their usual spot.

 

Come to think about it, Fellby wondered if Swabby was here more often than he knew about to help Grillby… The yellow flame certainly seemed to know his way around. “Because I said so,” he snapped.

 

Swabby just shrugged and did as he was told. He asked the dogs to help clear the place out, closed the little box with Grillby's money, wiped down the counter and brought all of the plates and glasses back into the kitchen.

Fellby got a bit impatient when Swabby moved to wash the mess up, but luckily he seemed to think otherwise and just let the dishes soak for now.

 

After everything was said and done Fellby looked at Swabby, his yellow flames being the only thing now that illuminated the room after they turned out the lights. “Well, let's go then.”

 

Swabby just glanced towards the window, frowning and looked upset. “Fellby, I can’t,” he replied. “There is still the storm…”

 

Fellby just tossed his own and Swabby's coat over the smaller monster’s head as he passed him, walking to the door. Swabby made a small, high-pitched sound while Fellby took out his phone to text Grillby, pausing for a moment to look over to the yellow flame at the noise only to see that he had put on his own coat and was still holding Fellby's.

“Come on already,” huffed Fellby as he opened the door. Cold air and snow hit him like a wall and for a moment, he regretted giving Swabby his coat. However, unwilling to go back on his decision, he walked forward.

 

“Fellby, wait!” came a thin voice as Swabby struggled to keep up with the blue flame.

Fellby slowed, allowing him catch up.

“NOW YOU HAVE NO PROTECTION,” shouted Swabby, still shivering despite the coats.

 

“Oh? Decided to join me?” Fellby grinned a bit more sure of himself than he actually felt.

  
“I...It's not like I had a choice...” Swabby stated, shivering. “AND you got no protection y...you silly flame!”

 

Fellby frowned slightly when he noticed Swabby’s flames flicker into a lower hue. “Then we better hurry back.”

 

“You'll get sick,” Swabby protested, this time wrapping his arms around Fellby’s own and huddling deeper into the two coats he was now wearing.

 

“I'm fine,” huffed Fellby but it was clear that this wasn't going to work as planned. How did Grillby make this look so easy?!?

 

He drew the line when Swabby's HP started to go down two minutes into the walk.

Fellby stopped in his tracks and kneeled slightly down, presenting his back to Swabby. “Get on ya freaking candle and hurry!”

 

Swabby first blinked at him confused until he got the idea and quickly climbed onto his back, wrapping his arms around Fellby's shoulders.

Fellby himself moved his arms and hands to hold onto Swabby's knees to keep him from falling and stood up. It took a second to shift his weight around enough to balance Swabby on his back and off he went to the house once more. Of course it was a bit slower now due to the added weight but he didn’t really mind. Instead, he made sure to focus his heat into his core and instantly felt Swabby leaning into the warmth, the yellow flame’s arms holding on tightly to him as he shifted a bit against his back as if hiding from the cold wind.

 

“Thank-you.”

 

Fellby did not reply, concentrating on walking while secretly checking Swabby's HP. There wasn't any more loss yet but it felt close… He quickened his pace, trying his best to ignore the cold beginning to arch up his legs.

 

Luckily the house came into sight just as Fellby begun shivering. He ran the last little distance, taking the steps two at a time until he was on the snow-free porch before releasing Swabby’s legs.

 

Swabby jumped from his back, coats still wrapped tightly around himself and still shivering in the cold.

 

“Get the door,” half-barked Fellby, trying to stop his own shivering.

 

“Oh yeah right,” mumbled Swabby, taking out his key and fumbled with the lock.

 

Fellby could not help but notice how much Swabby shook.

As soon as the door opened, Fellby shoved Swabby inside and hurried in behind him, shutting the door as quickly as possible. He took a deep breath, leaning against the wooden frame.

 

Home.

 

And, more importantly, it was warm here!

 

Swabby gave a small sigh while relaxing too, looking outside.

Fellby followed his gaze.

 

It was a white hell out there. Just looking at it made Fellby feel cold.

 

He turned away from the window and walked into the living room, heading towards the fireplace where he kicked the safety guard away. Fellby bent down and quickly used his flames to light the logs within.

Bless Grillby for always keeping fresh logs stored by the fire place.

He hastily placed the safety guard back over the fireplace as soon as a nice, strong fire was burning within.

 

Swabby slowly came into the living room himself, walking faster as soon as he noticed the pale blue fire heating up the room. He huddled close to the fire, still wrapped in the layers of coats.

 

Fellby could instantly see the slight change of Swabby’s flames getting stronger as the smaller elemental stood close to the warmth.

“Thank-you for the coat and... you know,” mumbled Swabby after a brief moment. “Giving me a lift.”

 

“You... uh...” sputtered Fellby, unsure of how to react or what to say. “Just... sit in front of the fucking fire,” he finally spat out, placing his hand on Swabby’s shoulder and half forcing the flame to kneel on the ground. It all came out more cranky and huffy than he had wanted but damn it all, he was cold and just UGH! The fire would warm Swabby up nicely but for him it just wasn't enough.

 

Swabby frowned slightly, reaching up to grasp hold of Fellby’s sleeve, too weak to actually pull the flame down beside him.

  
Fellby looked down, feeling the small tug and quickly pulled his arm away. “I'm going to take a bath.”

 

“Oh okay,” Swabby mumbled, moving a bit closer to the fire.

 

Fellby turned to head up the stairs, leaving Swabby behind in the living room. Urgh he felt a bit bad now. He still could feel ghost shivering and remembered how Swabby’s HP slowly dropped... UGH damn it all. He paused half-way up the stairs, not even bothering to turn around. “You wanna have a bath too?” he called over his shoulder. “I uh can start one for you when I finish… if you want.”

 

Swabby blinked up at the voice and smiled a tiny bit. “That would be nice,” he answered while pulling one of the blankets from the couch around himself tightly. “Thank-you.”

 

Fellby nodded, making his way to the bathroom again. A hot oil bath was exactly what he needed right now.

 

His feet, he noticed when he took of his boots, really had changed to a disgusting red color and it felt nice to finally warm them back up even if the bath wasn’t as hot as he would have preferred…

He relaxed after a while, leaning his head backwards and just let the heat flow over him, turning his flames a soft bluish purple. It was a really nice bath and, seriously, he needed the time this gave him.

 

He needed to think and, at the same time, needed to stop thinking about so much.  
He was home, he was safe, the kids would be back shortly, Grillby would still put up with him, the kids still loved him, he had gotten the candle home safely and there was more pie waiting on him.

 

He wasn't alone, he was warm and safe, he was still welcome.

 

He hadn't fucked up.

 

He stayed in the bath for a good long while until he felt the flames cooling.

There had been a slight interruption in the middle of it when Swabby came in for a short second to bring him a fresh set of clothes and towels though the other flame left very suddenly, stammering out apologies which honestly left Fellby confused over the whole ordeal. Sometimes the candle could be quite strange…

 

Though he had promised the smaller monster a bath too so he got out and easily burned off the remains of oil on body before refilling the tub and igniting it in hot blue flames for Swabby before changing and coming downstairs, announcing that the bath was free.

 

He was still acting a bit odd, stammering over his words and a bit green in the face as he hurried up the stairs.

Fellby frowned at that. Maybe the cold had gotten to Swabby’s head or something?

 

He wondered for a moment what Grillby usually does with the younger monster. Perhaps make a fire and pour a bath similarly as himself… Hell, his cousin would more-than-likely brew him that disgusting Sea Tea and give into the candle’s hugs and… and maybe even share his heat with him…

 

Fellby couldn’t help but to wonder what Swabby would look like with a different hue. Green, from what he could tell, seemed to suit him but he just couldn't imagine Swabby in orange or a higher spectrum… It just… seemed too weird.

 

UGH what was he even thinking? The cold must have gotten to HIS head!

 

He flopped on the couch, snatching up some of the pillows to make himself comfortable and looked to the ceiling. And waited.

 

And waited.

 

And waited even more.

 

Just how long did Grillby say it would take until the kids were back?

 

Fellby took out his phone to check the time and found his finger hovering over the address book. He could call Grillby and just ask but...

No. He wasn't going to call, he wasn't that desperate!

But... he really did want to see the kids yet he came back and they went to school already! He panicked.

 

Looking back, it was rather ridiculous. Of course everything was fine… Grillby would never, ever just take the children away from him. He and Swabby wouldn't just hurt him like that. He trusted them.

 

He had always trusted Grillby, despite everything.

 

On the other hand, it was a shock. The kids were already in school. They were growing up more and more... It wasn't suppose to be just out of the blue! Not so soon, not yet. He wanted to have and hold them all day long, wanted to feel needed for reading the title cards of their favorite shows and be able to tell them the most outrageous things they would take for truth from him.

 

He just wanted to keep them little a while longer!

 

But he couldn't…

 

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and instead got out a cigarette, lighting it up and taking a long drag. Grillby wasn't around and he needed to relieve some stress. He smoked slowly, enjoying the taste and the small buzz of nicotine coming from it. He would have to cut his smoking down again as long as he stayed in Snowdin but, honestly, it was a small price to pay.

He was almost done with his cigarette when he heard steps coming down the stairs and noticed the room getting brighter.

 

“You know, Grillby really doesn't like you smoking in the house,” Swabby spoke, sitting down beside him. He had changed, obviously, yet his flames had still a small green tint to them.

 

“Bite me,” Fellby muttered out, taking another drag of the cigarette. It would be finished soon anyway.

 

“The kids will be back soon... uh... besides...” Swabby mumbled out, voice fading a bit and gaining Fellby's attention. “Are you still cold? I um got you a scarf.”

 

Fellby glanced to him and, true to his words, Swabby had a nice looking dark blue scarf in his hands. Fellby blew a smoke ring out before talking. “What were you talking about earlier?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Fellby frowned instead of answering, taking the scarf and moving his fingers over the fine fabric. “It's all frilly,” he grumbled, picking at the decorative details on the scarf.

 

Swabby giggled. “No one will see you here.”

 

“Ugh,” he groaned but quickly wrapped the scarf around himself. “Don't you dare try to blackmail me with this later.”

 

“I promise,” grinned Swabby. “No blackmailing with this.”

 

Fellby made a little sound indicating they had an understanding. He trusted Swabby's word, if he said something was off-limits for blackmail-material he kept his word in the past. So he just swung his legs around, propping them up on Swabby's lap.

 

Swabby gave the legs an unsure look but finally sighed out and rested back with a look of acceptance washing over his face.

Fellby grinned a bit at that. He didn't know why but it was nice to be able to flop down on Swabby or Grillby and just have them accept it.

 

“So will you answer me what you wanted to know from me just now?” asked Swabby after a few seconds.

 

“Hm?” hummed Fellby, trying to remember where his thoughts were before. “Oh the boys... What were you saying earlier?” he questioned. “You said something about talking later in private?”

 

“You mean Saz and Parz?” Swabby asked, understanding seeping into his voice. “Yeah, well, I told you… They told me they are in pain,” he answered with a sad sigh. “Parz thought school was a test, even with me and Grillby explaining to him it wasn't a test like... with Gaster...” He paused for a moment, shaking his head. “He really did a number to both of them.”

 

The videos he saw in the lab flashed in Fellby’s mind. Stars, he wanted to burn that place down all over again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He liked this couch and did not want to lose it in his rage over an already dead monster. “No shit,” he mumbled, letting out another puff of smoke. “They doing okay? Everything considering?”

 

“Everything considering... they are doing good,” replied Swabby with a small smile. “I mean, they trust me enough to tell me and promised to tell either of us if they are hurt or scared...”

 

“And Grills?”

 

“Hmm? Well I guess Parz and Saz both…” Swabby sighed, frowning a bit before continuing, “prefer you over either myself or Grillby. Or what do you mean?”

 

Fellby just shook his head, finishing off the cigarette. “Not important.”

 

“You still can tell me.”

“Ugh what is it with you and talking.”

 

“It helps with stuff,” answered Swabby, leaning his back against the couch and smiling at Fellby in his usual cocky manner as if he already won the argument.

 

“Uh-huh riiiiight.”

 

“Hey, it felt good getting stuff out in the past, didn't it?” argued Swabby. “I mean, it helps to know that water freaks you out and... stuff.”

 

He was right. It was absolutely horrible but he did feel a lot better after telling Grillby and Swabby some more about what happened during in the war. That and Swabby never prodded him again about helping with the dishes or with bathing the kids anymore. Still, he wouldn’t just let Swabby win that easily! He reached out with his foot and gave Swabby a gentle push. “Shut it about the water.”

 

Swabby just chuckled softly. “All right, all right,” he replied, petting Fellby's leg once. “I just want to help. Are you really feeling okay?”

 

“I'm fine,” Fellby groaned out. He was home and safe and the kids still loved him. He was more fine now than he had been in the last however many years they all been trapped down here. “Why do you keep asking that?”

 

“I worry about you,” admitted Swabby. “Especially when you stay away this long and loose so much weight.”

 

“Ugh drop it already!”

 

“Okay, okay,” Swabby chuckled out, holding his hands up defensively but his flames still flickered with amusement. “But there is still a pie waiting for you... and pudding,” he added. “Suny insisted I make you pudding.”

 

“I've always liked Suny,” Fellby stated with a slight grin.

“Only because his new plan to keep you involves lots of sweets.”

“Eh,” made Fellby and shrugged. “I'll take it.”

“If you say so.”

“So what’s with the sweets idea in the first place?”

 

“I have absolutely no idea,” admitted Swabby. “The children just came to me with this... It's rather cute though.”

 

Fellby snorted. “Yes ‘cute’ that they're planning to hold me hostage.”

“With sweets. Don't forget they try to keep you here by feeding you.”

 

“It's still the same thing,” retorted Fellby, smirking at Swabby. “Though you don't seem to object to it yourself.”

 

Swabby chuckled and shrugged. “I just provide them with the means. For what my sweets are used I take no responsibility.”

 

There was a beat of silence before both of them succumbed to a fit of laughter. It wasn’t that funny but still…

 

It was nice. It was routine.

Simple, harmless fun.

Nobody got hurt and it all had a slight cotton candy tone to it.

 

Not to mention, he was getting pie and pudding out of it later. But there were still something that whispered to him in the back of his mind. “Swabby?” he spoke up after a while. “Why the hell were you out at the bar?”

“I told you, I went with Grillby today to talk to the teachers and after that... I didn't want to go home and stay there all alone,” mumbled Swabby. “And... well, it did got cold and Grillby brought me to the bar because it was closer.”

 

Fellby glanced towards the window again and shuttered. The fact that Swabby went out there in the first place was beyond stupid. But, well, he did too didn't he? “So you just stayed in the backroom instead of mingling with the guard dogs?” That wasn't very typical Swabby… What Fellby knew of the younger flame he was all to happy to spend time with anybody.

 

Heck, the guy even admitted that he organized family meetings!

 

“It was warm there and I just didn't want to at that moment,” Swabby answered, looking down at his hands, his right wringing his left in a nervous habit. “And then you came.”

 

“I thought you liked the dogs?”

 

“I like them. I would even consider most of them dear friends but...” Swabby shrugged again, eyes still fixed on his hands and flames flickering with an emotion Fellby couldn't quite name. He finally looked up to Fellby. “Like I said I wasn't feeling so hot...”

 

“No pun intended...?”

 

“Yeah,” Swabby muttered with a fairly unconvincing smile.

Fellby frown a bit. That wasn't how it was supposed to go, Swabby was suppose to laugh or make a dumb joke himself. “That was stupid on your part,” he tried again.

 

“What? The pun or insisting on going out in this weather?”, asked Swabby with a rather pathetic and tired sounding voice.

 

“Both.”

 

“Yeah,” chuckled out Swabby weakly before sighing again deeply and looking down to his hands once more, continuing his nervous habit.

 

“Then again Grills was being pretty stupid too,” huffed Fellby.

 

“Hmm?” made Swabby, gaze turning back to the blue flame. “No, I insisted and he kept me warm,” he added softly. “It wasn't his fault.”

 

“But then he forgot about it completely, the idiot.”

 

“He said he would take me home later,” mumbled Swabby. “Just... It's all right, Fellby. Really, I had worse.”

 

“Worse than snow...?”

 

“Yeah,” replied Swabby with a shrug. “Accidents happen.”

 

Fellby frowned, not liking the tone at all. Besides, Swabby really seemed to have the hang of things... as far as he knew, there wasn't any accident at all in this house. “I doubt it.”

 

“Really?” chuckled Swabby a bit. “Thanks for the vote in confidence... but... You do know I have a restaurant?” he asked before laughing shortly, a strange laugh that wasn't very humorous. “You can't imagine how often I got water-burns in the beginning... Asklepios was really angry with me a few times…”

 

Fellby frowned deeper not wanting to imagine Swabby hurt by water. He remembered the pain all too well himself. “But... you're yellow, you shouldn't even be near the stuff!”

 

“Well, yeah, but I like cooking,” Swabby responded with a shrug. “And water is sadly a part of it. I learned to be more careful.”

 

Fellby just looked at him, trying to wrap his head around the conversation. Swabby himself was looking down at his hands again, back to massaging the left… Did maybe something happen to his hand before? It didn't seem any different from his right - five fingers, bright yellow flames... “You still cold?” he asked suddenly because hell for all he knew that could be his problem. “You look a little... strange...”

 

“Hmm? Oh no, I just... uhm... thinking... in thoughts...”

 

“ ‘Thinking in thoughts’? Ugh that was ridiculous!”

 

Swabby blinked at that before chuckling a bit more lively. “Yeah, it was, huh?” he said softly while snuggling deeper into the couch, getting the blanket lying beside him and wrapping it around both himself and Fellby’s feet. “You want a blanket too?” he inquired, holding another one up.

 

“How 'bout both?” Fellby replied with a smirk.

 

“Huh?” Swabby questioned as he spread the blanket out over Fellby.

 

“And the other one.”

 

“What? No,” mumbled Swabby, snuggling deeper into his blanket.

 

Fellby’s smirk spread across his face. “Yes.”

 

“Why? You got a blanket.”

 

“I want another.”

 

“You can get a new blanket. We have a lot.”

 

“But I just got comfortable.”

 

“And your legs are on mine,” Swabby huffed out.

 

There was a strange shadow ghosting over Swabby's eyes for a moment and Fellby wondered if Swabby actually took this seriously.

It was all just fun and games, wasn't it?

 

“Come on, just give me yours.”

 

Swabby looked at Fellby again before sighing and taking off the blanket, leaning towards him to put it on Fellby too.

Before he could sink back to his former position however Fellby reached out and took hold of his arm, yanking the smaller flame down beside him before throwing half the cover over him as well. “There better. See?” he chuckled while shifting Swabby a bit more comfortably between himself and the back of the couch.

 

Swabby blinked rapidly up to him, a few green flames flickering up in his otherwise yellow face.

 

Huh he must feel warm then like this if he was having a sudden reaction like that. Fellby felt as if he accomplished some monumental feat in that moment.

 

“Y...yeah. Better,” stuttered Swabby.

 

Fellby let himself relax more into the couch too, pulling both the covers better around the two of them. “Nice fire going,” he yawned out, the heat added onto of the day’s events having worn him out. “And two covers are always better than one.”

 

Swabby just hummed in agreement. “Warm.”

 

“How long til the brats get back?”

 

Swabby glanced toward the clock before settling in more, his eyes dropping a bit. “Maybe in an hour or so?”

 

“Long enough for a nap then,” Fellby uttered between another yawn. “Gotta get ready for Papyrus and Suny after all.”

 

“Yeah,” agreed Swabby with a chuckle. “They will be a hand full... or two.”

 

They stayed like this for a bit until Fellby noticed that Swabby started to drift off, his head leaning heavily against his shoulder. “Don't get used to this,” he mumbled.

 

“Hmm... wouldn't dare to,” came the quiet answer.

 

Fellby snorted softly but did not reply, just snuggling a bit deeper into the couch, enjoying the feeling of laying on something soft and warm. Stars, he missed this couch when he was away in Hotland. He made the quick decision that he would not leave the couch for anything for the remainder of the day.

 

Okay, well, maybe dinner.

 

And the kids.

 

He wouldn't leave the couch for anything not totally important. Yeah, that sounded about right.

 

Swabby had cuddled up quite a bit to him, now half lying under one of his arms, looking peaceful.

 

Fellby closed his eyes, trying not to ponder about these kind of things. He had his share of nightmares after Gaster and he was pretty sure Swabby and the kids, maybe even Grillby, had as well. They all deserved peace.

 

“Fellby?” mumbled Swabby suddenly, voice sounding far away as he was already drifting into a half-asleep state. “Please stay.”

“You're on my couch,” Fellby muttered back. “So duh.”

 

“Just don’t leave,” continued the smaller flame, nuzzling closer and wrapping an arm around him.

 

“Ugh I ain't a stupid heater,” huffed Fellby

 

“I know,” came from Swabby. “You're family.”

 

Fellby blinked at that, feeling a strange sensation. It wasn't anything new... Swabby constantly said they were a family.

 

He looked down at Swabby. Yellow flames and he still trusted him even after... after their fight. Sure he had apologized, sort of, and it had been super hard but still... The kids didn't know any better and Grillby was so strong that nothing could hurt him. But Swabby? Swabby was a yellow flame and had no reason to trust him.

 

He had HURT him in the past.

 

Still, he trusted him. It was incredibly humbling.

 

“Yeah,” whispered Fellby back. “I am huh?”

 

Swabby did not respond to him anymore.

Fellby was left with a mind full of thoughts.

 

 

-

 

 

Meanwhile, Grillby stood at the front of the school, looking towards the building as he waited for the children.

His deliveries went over smoothly despite the weather becoming worse. He frowned at the snow, regretting not taking Swabby home first. On the other hand, he did not want him to be alone... it was a dilemma.

 

Grillby was pulled from his thoughts when his phone chimed within his pocket. Curious, he fetched his phone and noticed that he had received a message from Fellby.

 

**//how much longer?//**

 

Grillby chuckled at the message. Looks like somebody was getting antsy.  **//They will be out any moment, the bell went off just a bit ago. Are you bored?//**

 

**//swabby stole the couch//**

 

Grillby shook his head at the lack of capitalization and punctuation in the text message.  **//You took him home then? Thank-you. He stole the couch? How so?//**

 

**//hes asleep on it what do i do?//**

 

**//Let him sleep. If it really bothers you, carry him to his bed... I do not believe he slept well last night, so please let him be until I am back with the children.//**

 

**//but you're taking forever//**

 

**//The children will be out shortly and then it is only a ten-minute walk home. You are being overdramatic.//**

 

**//you need more oil//**

 

**//I'll pick up more later. I assume you took a bath?//**

 

**//its cold as hell out there//**

 

**//Yes it is unusually cold for the season. Are you and Swabby comfortable? Do you need anything?//**

 

**//i have a fire going//**

 

**//That's good. Is there any wood left or do I need to retrieve more?//**

 

**//there was wood in the fireplace i don't know about anywhere else//**

 

**//I'll gather more then. I also have spare heaters if it gets to cold... I see the children, I'll be home soon.//** Grillby waved at the children as they came running to him.

 

Pyru was the one to see Grillby first and begun running towards him however Papyrus and Suny faster and jumped into the flame elemental’s waiting arms.

Sans ran up behind the three followed by Saz and Parz who were traveling at a faster than usual speed but not quite running as their brothers had...

 

After properly greeting each of them and pulling them close to protect them from the cold, Grillby began leading the way home. The phone in Grillby's pocket continued chiming causing the flame to pauses briefly in order to answer.

 

**//where are all the heaters? i didn't see them//**

 

**//I'll show you.//** Grillby chuckled a bit while sending the text, drawing the attention of the children. 

 

“Who are you talking to?” asked Suny, his little face glowing with curiosity.

 

“Uncle Fellby,” he answered, reaching down to pet over Suny’s head. “He is at home and I think a bit bored.”

 

“THEN WE SHOULD HURRY HOME,” exclaimed Suny, jumping up and down merrily.

 

“We should,” chuckled Grillby softly in agreement. It was then that he noticed Parz had come closer to him and was looking at him. “He keeps asking for you,” he added with a smile.

 

“Really?” asked Saz quietly, stepping forward as well.

 

“Really,” whispered Grillby. “I think he missed you all a lot,” he continued while glancing to Parz.

The little skeleton blinked at the flame when he noticed he was being watched.

Grillby crouched down before the boy. “Want a lift?” he asked gently.

 

Parz looked a bit surprised, blinked and seemed to think for a moment before lifting his little arms up to the flame.

Grillby felt his smile widen as he picked up the child and wrapped his arm around the little body, keeping him warm.

 

Parz leaned a bit more into the warmth.

 

Sans took hold of Grillby’s free hand while holding Papyrus with his other.

Pyru gathered Saz and Suny again and walked home with Grillby again keeping the worst of the cold and snow from them.

 

The children started to chatter about their day to one another. About art and music and cooking and stories other children told them. They sounded happy and excited about their new courses.

 

Grillby only noticed that Parz was watching him after a while, a thoughtful expression on the little bone face as Parz seemed to study him intensely. “Hey,” Grillby finally spoke up, holding him a bit closer to his warmth just in case the cold began affecting him. “Are you all right, little one?”

 

Parz glanced towards Sans who was still in a conversation with the others about how they have to show their Uncle Fellby all their drawings from the day before. “Um…” Parz looked back to Grillby almost shyly.

 

Grillby just smiled a tiny bit more, still not having a clue what this was about but he wanted to be patient with Parz.

 

It took another few seconds before finally Parz opened his mouth to speak, his voice tiny and unsure. Testing but there, enough that Grillby could understand him clearly. “D… dad?”

 

“Hmm?” made Grillby before noticing he had reacted at all. His soul felt as if it would melt right there. “Yes, Parz?”

 

Parz did not answer, just laying his head against Grillby's shoulder and holding on to him, body finally relaxing.

Grillby petted him a bit, glancing down to Sans too. Maybe he wanted to test it too... He felt a grin spreading across his face at the thought. Stars, he loved these children.

 

There were some happy sounding whispers around him. No doubt the other children had heard Parz' words.

 

Pyru hugged onto Suny and Saz and began whispering lowly to the two smaller skeletons.

 

Sans was beaming with a proud look to Parz.

Papyrus, on the other hand, seemed confused either not having heard Parz or simply not seeing his brother’s words as such a big deal as his other brothers were making it out to be.

 

Grillby still felt happiness spreading through his body, warmer and much, much better than any LOVE on his soul.

 

-

 

The trip home went over fast after that. Grillby opened the door and let the children run inside.

There was happy yipping as Papyrus and Suny changed right there into their dog forms, shaking thick coats and boots off before bolting into the living room, no doubt in search of their uncle.

 

Pyru followed them a bit slower, still in his humanoid form and only bothering to take off his boots, his coat still hanging off his shoulders.

 

“Hey, wait up,” Sans yawned out with a smile before he too followed after the others.

 

Saz kept standing awkwardly in the door, watching as Grillby carefully sat Parz down and helped him out of his own clothes.

 

“Everything all right, little one?” whispered Grillby. He glanced shortly to the living room where some happy yipping and “UNCLE FELLBY!” came from. “I think Fellby is in the living room,” he added with a chuckle. “And Swabby too most likely.”

 

Parz nodded at that, took Saz' hand and together they walked into the living room.

 

Fellby was busy greeting the children, still laying on the couch cocooned in blankets. There were pets and some soft words spoken and, all in all, the children seemed very excited.

 

“UNCLE FELLBY,” proclaimed Suny, “WE HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT SCHOOL NOW!”

 

Saz nodded in turn. “It was great,” he mumbled out while looking to Parz who nodded once as well.

 

“Cooking class was... nice,” spoke Parz. “Quiet.”

 

“Nice, huh?” Fellby hummed before opening his arms up. “Come here, show me how nice.”

 

Parz and Saz did not need more invitation, they both jumped into the flame’s arms, the others following more or less successful.

 

“Daddy said you were bored,” mumbled Papyrus, muffed by the crowed hug.

 

Before Fellby really could react to that, Sans slipped out of his grip and sat down in front of the couch, looking up to him. “Yeah and so we will tell you everything now!” Sans informed him. “So you won't be bored anymore.”

 

“We had a lot of fun,” chirped Pyru.

 

“Uh... okay...?”

 

“SCHOOL IS REALLY FUN!” chipped Suny and jumped to the ground too to have more space to gesticulate. “THERE’S LOTS OF OTHER KIDS JUST LIKE US!”

 

“But... not skeletons though,” mumbled Papyrus. “Just... lots of cats and dogs and bears and bunnies.”

 

“THEY’RE ALL FUZZY,” giggled Suny.

 

“Yeah and we got a lot of different classes,” continued Sans. “And some we got together and some we are not all together.”

 

“Me and Sans got science together and Saz got history and Papyrus and Suny got Arts and crafts,” informed Pyru.

 

“It's fun and... and mostly quiet during the lessons,” added Saz mumbling, still holding onto Fellby beside Parz.

 

“That so,” Fellby muttered, a bit overwhelmed with all of the information.

 

“Some classes are boring though,” mumbled Parz.

 

“And in some we get to play games,” countered Suny.

 

“WE LEARNED SOME NEW ONES TOO,” added Papyrus full with excitement. “THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT GAMES! AND PUZZLES! OH OH OH! AND PUZZLE GAMES!”

 

“AND,” continued Suny, “WE CAN CHOOSE A GROUP FOR THE AFTERNOON!”

 

“I got music,” Pyru spoke up.

 

“And Parz got cooking!” added Sans proudly. “And I got uh... Astro… um… Astro-anono-my. Astronomy,” he sounded out slowly, stumbling over the word a bit.

 

“OH OH UNCLE FELLBY, YOU HAVEN’T HEARD,” interrupted Suny. “UNCLE SWABBY AND PARZ COOKED YESTERDAY! THEY MADE A GIANT CIRCLE THING CALLED UM… PIZZA! YEAH, PIZZA! AND IT WAS GREAT. THE BESTEST EVER!”

 

Fellby blinked at the rush of words, glancing down to Parz. “Pizza huh?”

 

Parz blushed at that, red magic causing his face to glow slightly red, creating a stark contrast to Fellby's blue flames. “Ye… yeah.”

 

“Bet it was great,” Fellby smiled softly down to the skeleton.

Parz returned the smile at the encouraging words, his red eyes shining softly and looking truly happy. 

 

“IT WAS, IT WAS,” echoed Sans and Pyru, joining the other in praising Parz.

 

Parz’ face darkened a bit more at all of the praise.

 

“Hey... wait...” said Sans suddenly. “Where is Uncle Swabby?”

 

“Uh...” made Fellby, suddenly uncomfortable and leaning backwards. “Sleeping... he um got a bit cold...”

 

“Oh... but it's not even dinner time yet,” mumbled Suny. “He can't become lazy too!”

 

“Is he okay?” asked Sans.

 

“Cold is dangerous for Uncle Swabby,” Pyru added in.

 

“I’m sure he’s fine, brats,” mumbled Fellby. “He’s just... sleeping.”

 

The children seemed to be satisfied with that, some of them nodding slowly at Fellby's word.

 

Grillby, who was a silent and fond observer up until now, finally raised his voice a bit. “I'll get some heaters out later. It is rather cold in the moment, huh?”

 

“Maybe we should go check on Uncle Swabby,” mumbled Suny to the others.

 

“We should give him a hug! That always makes me feel warm again,” agreed Pyru, a plan that was all too readily accepted by the skeletons.

Even Saz and Parz slid out of Fellby's arms and nodded.

 

One after the other left the room, surely to travel up to Swabby's bedroom, with Saz again holding Parz' hand as they walked behind the other children.

 

Soon only Grillby and Fellby were left in the living room.

Grillby watched the blue flame with a look of amused fondness while Fellby tried very hard not to appear guilty, pouting or in any way uncool. So far, he was pretty much failing at that.

 

They kept silently sitting there until some little voices from upstairs called them, sounding slightly distressed.

 

“Uncle Fellby! Dad! Uncle Swabby isn't here.”

 

Fellby tried not to notice how Grillby glowed a bit more, his flames flickering happily at being called dad again. And then the following frown.

 

“Not there, huh?” asked Grillby softly and Fellby really, really wanted to will the realization that moved over his cousin's face to just stop and go away. “He never left, didn't he? Is he still on the couch with you?” Grillby asked quietly, smile barely hidden.

 

Fellby just looked away, mumbling under his breath. “Must be playing hide and seek...” He paused, an idea springing to his mind before he raised his voice and shouted up the stairs. “HE’S JUST PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK!”

 

Grillby, meanwhile, just stood up to peer over Fellby and the up until now ignored lump behind the blue flame. While it could be just an oversized pillow or some balled-together blankets… No, there was small movements, a slow and steady pattern foretelling breathing. Grillby grinned slightly at Fellby.

 

Fellby glared at his cousin in turn.

In the background, the children could be heard talking amongst themselves.

 

“Hide and seek?”

 

“WE MUST FIND HIM!”

 

“Hmm... Should be easy, Uncle Swabby glows...”

 

“YEAH, UNCLE SWABBY CAN’T HIDE FROM US!”

 

Fellby let out a low growl as Grillby stepped closer.

 

“LET’S SEARCH IN OUR ROOM! THERE ARE A LOT OF HIDING SPOTS THERE!”

 

“UNCLE SWABBY, COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!”

“... huh? He isn't here too?”

 

“UNCLE SWABBY!”

 

There was the sound of running, of closet doors being opened and closed.

Yet no Swabby was found by the children.

 

Grillby reached out and plucked at the blanket, revealing some yellow flames from Swabby who was still peacefully sleeping between Fellby and the back of the couch. “Really, Fellby,” he chuckled out softly. “Why didn't you say Swabby is still here?”

 

“...no one asked?” mumbled Fellby finally, relaxing back a bit and giving Swabby a look. “Like I want to admit the candle is cuddled up to me,” he huffed out. “It's embarrassing!”

 

Grillby chuckled at that fondly, shaking his head. “It is rather endearing,” he replied. “And now you let the children go off on a wild goose chase? Why didn't you just put him into his bed, huh?”

 

“It was cold and I was tired... and he refused to get up…”

 

“That is sweet of you,” stated Grillby softly while looking over Swabby's still sleeping form. “He did not have much sleep today... He thinks I don't notice but I do. I think he must have burned through more energy than he realized.”

 

There was a moment of silence between them.

 

“Why would Uncle Swabby be in dad's room?” came from Parz upstairs.

 

“BECAUSE WE WOULDN’T EXPECT IT!”

 

“And dad's room is warm.”

 

“They are still on it, huh?” chuckled Grillby, earning a huffy “shut up” from Fellby. “So... When do you want to tell the children?”

 

“I wasn't planning to,” shrugged the blue flame.

 

“You are ridiculous, you know that, right?”

 

“It was cold and he was hogging the blankets,” huffed Fellby.

 

“And your solution was to cuddle him and hide him under a blanket?”

 

“He did the cuddling!” accused Fellby though both of them knew it was rather weak defense. Fellby himself had made it a habit about a year ago to use both Swabby and Grillby as a pillow as he pleased.

 

“You let him.”

“Who says I did?”

“He is still cuddled up to you.”

 

Fellby glared at him.

Grillby chuckled softly. He had missed both of them being ridiculous like this.

“Just shut up, Grills.”

 

Meanwhile, the children were still on the search for their missing uncle.

Their own room and Swabby's room was a failure, as well as Grillby's bedroom. They were still all standing in the room as they tried to come up with some strategy for what to do next.

 

“So he isn't in his room, not in ours, not in the bathroom and not in dad's...” mumbled Sans, frowning as he summarized the results of their search so far.

 

“You like saying that, huh?” giggled Pyru, interrupting Sans and prompting him to look at him.

 

“What... dad?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“It... feels nice,” mumbled Sans softly.

 

“Well... he is our daddy now right?” spoke Suny. “So we just call him dad or daddy?”

 

“Yeah, what they said about dads is what Grillby does so...” mumbled Papyrus before beaming. “So of course he is our daddy, the best there is!”

 

“Yes! He's our dad!” giggled Suny with him.

 

“...He did answer to it...” mumbled Parz, hugging himself as if he tried to keep the warmth he felt from the flame before.

 

“Yeah... he seemed happy,” agreed Pyru slowly. “When you called him dad earlier.”

 

“Huh?” made Parz, blinking at him and thinking about it.

 

“See? Plus-plus,” grinned Sans. “Dad is happy and we got a dad.”

 

“He is,” nodded Saz in agreement.

 

“...He's really happy?” asked Parz lightly.

 

Pyru nodded. “Yeah, he looked really happy and bright when you called him dad.”

 

“I was just.... testing...” mumbled Parz softly.

 

“Testing?” inquired Sans.

 

“And what is the result?” Pyru prodded.

 

Parz blushed dark red and looked away, prompting both Papyrus and Suny to giggle out.

 

“I think that's a yes,” said Suny joyfully as he hugged Parz happily. “Yey!”

 

“HE’S THE BESTEST DADDY!”, proclaimed Papyrus, hugging onto Parz too who now looked a bit alarmed by the increasing numbers of brothers hugging him.

Pyru joined in, hugging the other three skeletons at once while giggling.

 

“Uncle Fellby is great too,” mumbled Saz at the sidelines, earning himself a little pat from Sans. “And Uncle Swabby too.”

 

“THEY’RE ALL GREAT!” proclaimed Suny.

 

Parz begun struggling against the group hug.

Pyru, noticing the movement, nuzzled him shortly before letting go completely. “Yeah... but Uncle Swabby is still missing,” he spoke up, looking around while Parz became free of Papyrus and Suny, moving quickly to Saz' side all the while rubbing at the spot where Pyru nuzzled as if wiping it away.

 

“That leaves downstairs,” said Sans. “We haven't looked there yet.”

 

“THE KITCHEN!” offered Suny.

“It's the only place we haven't looked yet...” mumbled Papyrus.

 

“Yeah,” added Sans with a nod. “And he wouldn’t go outside in this weather…”

 

“LET’S GO DOWNSTAIRS!” Pyru exclaimed which was met with a happy cheer from Papyrus and Suny.

 

However, the kitchen was bare. No yellow glow to be seen.

 

“Uncle Swabby?” asked Sans anyway, looking around the room frowning. Where could he be? His boots and coat were still hanging in the hallway and he would never leave without telling them goodbye... Besides, Fellby had told them that he was hiding and that meant he was still in the house, right?

 

“He’s not here too,” mumbled Pyru, looking around as well.

Suny and Papyrus were even looking in the cupboards and under the table but their uncle was still missing.

 

“Uncle Swabby is a good hider,” muttered out Papyrus frowning.

 

“Maybe we should ask Uncle Fellby again?” asked Saz after a while.

 

“Yeah,” agreed Sans. “For being so bright, he sure is stealthy.”

 

“Well nobody ever saw how he makes pictures,” offered Pyru. “So he has to be.”

 

“Uncle Fellby would know,” objected Parz, making Saz look happy that his idea found agreement with his brother.

 

The others agreed, turning to leave the kitchen. They weren't even at the door when they heard Grillby's voice calling for them. What followed was a quick run to the living room and, lo and behold, there he was, their missing uncle sitting with a blanket wrapped around himself on one side of the couch, looking a bit dazed and ruffled.

 

“UNCLE SWABBY!”

With a cry, six skeleton children ran up to the yellow flame and hugged him.

Questions over where he was and how he got there rained down on the smaller flame. 

 

“Fellby found Swabby,” chuckled Grillby finally, taking pity in his overwhelmed cousin.

 

“Wait really?” asked Sans, backing off from Swabby a bit to look at their uncle curiously.

 

“Uncle Fellby is the best,” proclaimed Saz.

 

Swabby himself seemed a bit confused by that. “What?” he asked, blinking at the others.

 

“Awww we wanted to find him,” pouted Suny.

 

“Awww no fair,” added Papyrus, crossing his little arms. “Uncle Fellby!”

 

“Had a nice nap?” Fellby asked Swabby with a slight smirk, his blue flames flickering slightly with mischief.

 

“Actually yes,” he answered with a slight yawn. “What happened?”

 

“You had a bath then came in here and fell asleep,” shrugged Fellby.

 

Swabby was still confused by that but the children filled him in pretty quickly on how he was suddenly gone and they had searched him. What, he fell asleep? Where? When? It was a bit overwhelming but at least there were more hugs and Swabby could never say no to hugs.

 

Grillby disappeared for a moment and when he returned, he carried a tray of sweetened tea.

Fellby finally sat up a bit on the couch and, between the nine of them, they settled down and cuddled together under the blankets, warm and cozy.

 

It was nice and somewhat lazy.

 

Conversation struck up again, namely about Swabby's disappearance and miraculous re-discovering by Fellby. A conversation Fellby found hilarious by how much he giggled.

 

“You were really just... gone!” Suny told.

“Huh. Apparently I did... or somebody was hiding me.”

“Hiding you?” questioned Saz.

“You were hidden away?” asked Papyrus. “How? Why?”

“I would ask Uncle Fellby with how he is giggling,” chuckled Grillby softly. 

 

Sans turned to Fellby, a scandalous look on his face. “Uncle Fellby! Did you hide Uncle Swabby? “

 

“I wouldn't dream of it,” chuckled Fellby, waving his hand in front of his face.

 

Suny stared at him, poofing out his cheeks. “YOU HAD TOO! YOU TOLD US HE WAS HIDING!”

 

“I bet you just wanted Uncle Swabby all for yourself,” accused Pyru.

“So you can eat all the pies!” concluded Sans.

“Really now?” Swabby chuckled at the accusations. 

 

“Oh, yes, that was exactly it,” laughed Fellby. “And I would have gotten away with it too!”

 

Suny hugged onto Swabby's legs at hearing that. “Nooooo you gotta share, Uncle Fellby!”

“Yeah!” agreed Sans. “He's still our uncle too!”

“Yeah!” huffed Pyru. “We'll share but only if you share too.”

“Looks like your plan was foiled, Fellby,” chuckled Grillby, sipping at his tea.

 

Swabby just chuckled softly, hugging Suny and Pyru, who were closest to him, to himself. “Nice to know I am loved.”

 

Fellby looked at the scene with a small smile and shrugged. “Guess I'll have to settle with Grills then.”

 

“Nice to know that I am the replacement,” Grillby spoke up dryly.

 

“What, wanna steal Grillby?” asked Swabby with a chuckle.

 

“No stealing dad! We need him too,” interjected Sans. “You can have... uh... 10% of each of them.”

 

“But that so little,” protested Fellby with a chuckle. “I need at least 80%.”

 

“80%? That’s way too much! You can have 15% of each,” Sans stated, leaning to Grillby to hug around his middle, glaring a tiny bit at Fellby.

 

Grillby just laughed, hugging Sans to himself, amused at their antics.

Parz just frowned at the whole ordeal and leaned a bit against Swabby’s side.

 

“Hmm nope,” said Fellby finally, pushing Sans off of Grillby's lap onto the couch again. “80%,” he stated again while wrapping his arms around Grillby's neck and pulling the taller flame close to himself.

 

Grillby blinked at the sudden movement, but let Fellby do as he pleased. After all, his cousin wasn't home for a month therefore it was only natural that he craved some form of affection now and Grillby rather have Fellby reaching out in this manner rather than having to force him accept something he clearly needed. Besides, it was nice. He had missed the easy affection between them when they were children and this reminded him a lot of the days when the world was still bright and full of freedom. 

 

Sans still protested and hugged onto Grillby too.

“Uncle Fellby is stealing dad,” giggled Suny.

 

“You do know I can be shared, do you?” chuckled Grillby at Fellby and Sans who were still busy glaring at each other.

 

“Don't worry, Suny. We'll just wait until Fellby is asleep and steal Grillby right back,” offered Swabby, earning himself looks from Fellby and Sans alike.

 

“I changed my mind, now it's 100%,” proclaimed Fellby. “And I won't let you steal him away from me in my sleep!”

 

“Hey, that's not fair! He’s our dad too!”

“He's all mine now,” smirked Fellby.

“Do I get a say in this?” inquired Grillby.

He received a loud and clear “NO!” from both parties.

Grillby chuckled at that, shaking his head softly.

 

Swabby leaned down to whisper to Parz. “Wanna ditch this silliness and make some dinner?”

 

Parz, still looking very confused at the exchange, nodded lightly.

“You wanted to help too, didn't you?” Swabby asked Papyrus.

The small skeleton nodded very quickly.

 

Together, they left the others to their discussion which turned now to how Fellby lost all rights of having Grillby if he left for more than three days.

 

“I think I have a better solution for the problem,” Grillby stated as he wrapped his arms around both Fellby and Sans, pulling them close. “I just keep all of you.”

 

“GROUP HUG!” exclaimed Pyru and hugged Saz.

Suny hugged onto Fellby’s back happily.

 

Fellby made a small huffing sound at being cuddled like this.

“Hush now you,” shushed Grillby. “We’ve all missed you, Fellby.”

 

Fellby looked as if he wanted to reply but instead he remained silent and relaxed into the hug.

 

Perhaps this really was the best solution.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is, the end of the school day jitter arc. Hope you liked it. ^^ We will continue next time with the Gaster arc (you know, tear your hearts out after all the fluff. :D)
> 
> In the meantime: WE GOT SO MUCH AWESOME ART! (thank you all so much! :D)
> 
> By LunarWingsLatias  
> The chilling scene at the end of the Christmas chapter  
> http://lunarwinglatias.deviantart.com/art/Found-You-661347201
> 
> By Pippa-Frost  
> Crossover with Gravity Falls again. :D  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/158014751351/namekian-maoh-pippa-frost-fellby-you-give
> 
> By Dealdraws
> 
> Fellby's new shirts.   
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/157211880349/antarestyl-dealdraws-i-wanted-to-do-something
> 
> Summoning lessons with Dealdarws's own OC:   
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/157443364676/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-i-finished-this-ugly
> 
> Felys (Dealdraws own OC) fails at transdimensional phone calling.   
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/157671675141/namekian-maoh-deal-right-antarestyl
> 
> Papyrus gets scared by a pinecone (just like cats and cucumbers XD)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/157834685451/deal-right-antarestyl-namekian-maoh
> 
> Swabby being his wonderful bright self and a little shit   
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/157877323771/dealdraws-i-definitely-think-that-the-amount-of
> 
> Felys got an idea (Fellby objects)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/158020869066/namekian-maoh-antarestyl-dealdraws-ok-you
> 
> Swabby being the best uncle around (feat. Swabby's granny grown XD)  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/158035524811/dealdraws-i-said-i-had-a-cute-idea-regarding
> 
> Super special task force: Candy  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/158168768454/dealdraws-ok-this-is-not-exactly-what-you-asked
> 
> Felys and Fellby react to be called damaged  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/156766030221/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-the-twos-reactions
> 
> ((I hope we haven't forgotten anybody)) ANYWAY THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. Thank you for comments and shared links and the wonderful artwork. ^^ 
> 
> See you all next time then. ^^


	24. Shadow of the Past - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby comes home and the chase begins.

 

 

Grillby had actually looked forward to coming to the bar that day. It was always calm after Gyftmas, most monster were still drunk on the festive cheer and merriment, a happy mood wrapping around them and hope soaring high that everything would be okay in the end. Grillby liked the feeling of optimism in the air.

 

He watched and smiled slightly to himself when he saw Dogamy and Dogressa nuzzling noses, Lesser Dog shuffling cards, Greater Dog writing a letter while waiting and Doggo feeling over his new leather jacket he, no doubt, had gotten for Gyftmas. By the way Dogamy and Dogressa kept smiling at him from time to time it was easy to assume he got it from them.

 

Time really flew, he thought as he watched Doggo slowly eating his dog treats. It seemed like only yesterday when Doggo's grandfather brought him in for the first time when he was barely a puppy and Dogamy and Dogressa were just young teens in love then, Dogressa only starting with her training and Dogamy still dreaming of having a flower shop even if he knew it was impossible in Snowdin.

Grillby remembered that Doggo's grandfather had sat the little pup down just were Doggo was sitting now and came over to Grillby, speaking in hushed tones how the parents of the little one fell down while saving some bunnies from a collapsing bridge close to Waterfall…

 

Dogamy had overheard them and offered to look after the little Doggo.

In a way, Doggo was an excellent preparation for the children now, come to think about it. Grillby smiled at the memory of Dogamy and Dogressa getting out all the best playthings for dogs. Balls, sticks and toys that squeal when you bite them. The children loved that stuff, especially Papyrus took to it behaving at times more like a dog than a skeleton.

 

Swabby somehow got some very cute pictures to show from this and Grillby was more than thankful for them, two now sitting on his bedside table.

 

Doggo's grandfather, the old leader of the Snowdin-Sentries, died only a few short months after that faithful day when he brought Doggo in the first time, when another human found their way into the Underground.

Snowdin was evacuated and Grillby's became a sort of shelter for terrified monsters. He agreed to be the last defense for the monster in Snowdin, still too scared that a fight with a human would cause him to lose the last of his control.

Dogaressa's parents, two very fine sentries at that time, were instructed with leading him to the river should he become dangerous.

 

Doggo's grandfather was one of the ten sentries of Snowdin that went out to capture the human.

 

Many good monster died then but when Grillby found the dusty collar in the snow after everything was done, he took it hard. It was even harder for little Doggo. He tried looking out for the pup of course, getting him free meals and all that but he could never replace what he had lost.

Doggo's grandfather was a friend like many of his regulars but Grillby was not a dog and could never be what Doggo really needed.

Thank the stars for Dogamy and Dogressa who took the grieving child in and took care of him, no questions asked. By the looks of it, they did very good with him.

 

Grillby smiled a bit more when he saw the two of them watching Doggo again, holding hands under the table. He wondered if they would go through with a wedding one of these days.

Usually monster don't do the ceremony, you just declare each other partners and there is no need for anybody else to give their approval. However, the two dogs were always hopeless romantics and, well, it's been a while since Snowdin saw a real marriage…

 

Cardinal and Turpis weren't in, sadly, both of them still away visiting family however the whole bunny family was sitting in a booth, drinking tea and wine.

 

Grillby was about to go over to them and see if they needed anything when his phone rang loudly. He took it out and answered the call, nearly letting the phone fall when he heard Swabby's panicked voice from the other end.

 

“Grillby! Grillby, come home fast! Gaster... He knocked out Fellby! _**He took the kids**_!”

 

Grillby's flames left his humanoid form as he swung over the bar, running to the door.   
  
“Grillby?” barked Dogaressa.

 

Grillby paused for a second. “COME!” he commanded, his voice not letting him do more than a short command but it was all he needed.

The dogs got up and followed Grillby quickly.

 

He ran out of the bar, right through the door just burning through the wood in his haste to return home.

The run was short but it seemed like an eternity to Grillby. His soul was trembling in his chest.

 

Gaster.

 

Gaster had found their home.

 

He had hurt Fellby and possibly Swabby as well.

 

GASTER TOOK HIS CHILDREN.

 

There were a lot of questions on his mind. How was this possible? How had he found them? How was he able to get here unnoticed? How was he able to just steal his children away?

 

How was this reality and not some awful nightmare?

 

Grillby knew nightmares just too well, knew exactly how each of his felt.

This was not one he could wake up from.

 

He skitted to halt in front of the house.

The dogs came up behind him, sniffling already for clues and traces of what set Grillby into a panic.

 

Grillby ran inside, not wasting any time.

 

He found Swabby and Fellby in the living room, Fellby on the couch with a slightly dazed look. Both of them were alive and apparently not harmed though Fellby seemed to have a hard time in trying to stand.

 

“Let me up, Swabby,”, he growled. “We have to follow him,” he fussed, struggling to shake off the yellow flame who was keeping him on the couch.

“He attacked you! Fellby, just...” It was in that moment which he noticed the bartender. “Grillby! Stars, I... I…”

 

“Not the time, Swabby,” spoke Grillby unsure if his voice was even reaching the two flames before him as his eyes darted around the small space. “Gaster… did he really…?”

 

“Yeah,” spat Fellby, managing to sit up fully only to place a hand over his head from the wave of nausea the movement caused. “I... he just... rang the goddamn doorbell. The kids ran off before I could stop ‘em. They,” he let out a hollow laugh before continuing, “They thought it was Santa again. They were wrong. He... he took ‘em and… the fucker blasted me. Grills, this guy is STRONG.”

 

“I'll deal with him,” stated Grillby as he looked over both Swabby and Fellby. He supposed he should tell them to stay behind, that they shouldn't follow Gaster. He should but he wouldn't. He knew neither of them would listen.

 

His flames crackled, his LOVE growling right under his soul. He wanted nothing more than hunt Gaster down and…

 

No. Not now.

 

He needed his mind clear. Anything else would not help.

 

Doggo came in, coughing slightly. “We think he is on his way to Hotland... through Waterfalls, he said solemnly, the Dog Guard having heard the conversation from outside. “We will follow him and-”

 

“No,” Grillby cut in. “He is too dangerous. I'll go.”

 

“You want to go through Waterfall?” Swabby squeaked. “You...”

 

“I'll be fine,” said Grillby lowly, flames flickering. “My LOVE is high, it won't matter.”

 

“I'll go with you,” stated Fellby causing both Swabby and Grillby to look at him.

  
“I don't think that is-”

 

“NO!” growled Fellby out. “This bastard took my kids and I refuse to just stand on the sidelines while he goes and does whatever the hell he pleases to them. I got LOVE too. I'll KILL the fucking bastard,” he hissed, flames taking a slight purple tone. “I’ll wear protection if need be but I can assure you, I’ve had worse.”

 

Both Grillby and Swabby exchanged a look before Grillby finally sighed, knowing there was no arguing with his cousin. “Alright,” he agreed. “Just... stay close to me.”

 

“Let's GO then!”

 

“Grillby,” mumbled Swabby only to be hushed.

 

“Take your coat,” he instructed. “Take the Riverperson to Hotland with the dogs. Alarm the Royal Guards.”

 

“He got at least two other labs in Hotland,” informed Doggo. “We think he hid in another one... Maybe he tries to reach it now?”

 

Swabby gave a nod. “Alright,” he agreed. “We... we'll see each other later then...”

 

“Don't worry,” spoke Grillby softly. “I'll be back with the children soon.”

 

Swabby hurried off to get his coat, trying to push back his worries and fears. He trusted Grillby to be true to his word but… but there was no telling what that mad man had in store for the children. Not to mention, this whole ordeal was going to set everything back to square one with the boys.

 

Grillby’s LOVE sung under his flames.

 

It was time to hunt.

 

-

 

 

They were lucky it wasn't too cold that day, the weather had been pretty nice a few weeks now and it showed.

 

Grillby, however, still emitted enough heat to melt their way free through the snow as he run ahead, Fellby hot on his heels.

 

“How could that bastard even find us?” asked Fellby as the came upon the entrance to Waterfall. “I thought you said nobody knew the kids were here?!? Where even was the bastard this whole time? Not even my guys could find him!”

 

Grillby thought about this, filing away that Fellby obviously set his gang up to find Gaster in the back of his mind. “The dogs said he had at least two more labs,” he reminded. “Maybe he had hidden there... As for how he found us, I have no idea.”

 

“Damn,” Fellby cussed. “Fucking damn it all!”

 

“What was his attack like?” questioned Grillby, ignoring Fellby's swearing for once. “What sort of magic did he use?”

 

“Uh... purple magic,” mumbled Fellby finally, rubbing over his chest. “Strong shit too, hurt like hell. Looks like a tall skeleton, purple glowing eyes, old lab coat, normal but used shoes,” the blue flame continued, doing his best to recall the small glimpse he got of the scientist. “He can do the same as Cupcake with... uh strings of magic. That's how he got the boys. Though… he might have blue magic too. He can use his magic to push... that's how he got me down.”

 

Grillby nodded, frowning. Purple and Blue magic. That would be tricky, especially if Gaster had enough time to prepare his attacks.

 

Grillby remembered well that Gautami, the skeleton woman who used to fight at his side, was a master of purple magic, using strings made out of purple light to either attack from afar or to bind and bring the foe into range of either Gerson's terrifying hammer or Grillby's fire.

Even if he did not miss the war and the fighting, he missed his friends and the way they worked together on the battlefield. Grillby himself had divided the human troops with walls of flames while Gautami picked single humans out of their formation with her magic, Gerson then would either attack with his hammer or paralyze by letting his yellow magic strike the humans like a lightning bolt and Sylvan, staying behind them, would continuously heal and offer encouragement.

 

Not that it really mattered in the end.

The war wasn't pretty.

 

No war was.

No war would ever be.

 

Yet here he was, now hunting a skeleton with similar magic as his late friend. Even if they were not as skilled as Gautami had been, from what Fellby had told him, Grillby could only guess that this would not be an easy fight.

Grillby had brute strength and HP on his side but he had not fought in a long time… He also needed to keep his LOVE under control. There was no way to tell what would happen if he were to lose control…

 

There existed a large crater on the surface that gave testament to that fact.

 

Grillby shuttered and shoved the thought aside. He needed to focus. He needed to get to Gaster and take him out, one way or another.

 

First they had to find him and get the boys to safety. For that, they had to go through Waterfall.

 

“I know most of the hallways that are water free,” Grillby told Fellby.

 

Fellby just made a small sound at his cousin’s words. “Lead the way.”

 

Grillby nodded and, together with his cousin, he entered Waterfall.

 

-

 

Waterfall was dark, mostly. After coming from Snowdin, with the snow and frost all around, the contrast was even more stark. Only glowing crystals and the  bioluminescent mushrooms illuminated the darkness of the caves.

 

Not to mention that there was water everywhere.

 

True to his words, the water did not phase Grillby but he could see that Fellby was more than uncomfortable here. “Are you alright, Fellby?” he asked finally, still running alongside the blue flame. He lowered his heat a bit as they ran through some tall grass, just making himself hot enough to dry it before Fellby would pass behind him.

 

“Fucking fine,” growled out Fellby. “I just let a psycho nerd get the best of me and steal the kids, fan-fucking-tastic.”

 

“There is no blame for you to take,” assured Grillby. “Gaster took them, you did not give them to him.”

 

“Still feels shitty,” mumbled Fellby. “What do you think he'll do with them?”

 

“He was planning on making... weapons. At least that is what I understood from his notes,” answered Grillby grimly. “I don’t understand how and why exactly but he... he wanted to use them as weapons against the barrier. Against the humans. Against, well, whoever stood in his way.”

 

“Megalomaniac, huh?” huffed Fellby. “I wouldn't mind giving the humans what they deserve but still... that’s fucked up.”

 

“I rather there be no fighting,” Grillby retorted. “Especially not with the children.”

 

“...yeah,” agreed Fellby. “There is no way we're letting him pit them against humans.”

 

They ran for a bit before getting to a cross section, one to the left and one to the right.

Grillby pointed at the one to the right and Fellby followed him through the tunnel.

The cave grew darker and the air felt moister.

Grillby looked around, frowning a bit as he glanced to Fellby with worry on his mind. His cousin was strong, sure, and would most likely be able to take a bit water but it would still hurt. He rather not risk that.

 

Was he just imagining it or were Fellby's flames getting a lower?

 

“Fellby? Are you... still okay?” he asked as they ventured into an especially dark tunnel, only their flames illuminating their surroundings.   
It was one of those instances where the difference in the brightness of their flames was especially visible. Grillby's flames illuminated their surroundings for possibly a three to four foot radius whereas Fellby’s flames only managed to lighten up the area around himself maybe a few inches.

 

“Hm?” questioned Fellby, looking to Grillby. “Yeah, fine just... urg Waterfall,” he mumbled, pulling his coat tighter around himself. “It's not just cold, it's wet too. And fucking dark...”

 

Grillby frowned a bit at that statement before holding out his hand and summoning up a ball of fire. He carefully shifted the flames inside the ball down to a bright canary yellow, the same hue as Swabby’s flames.

 

The room brightened up as if he had turned on a lantern.

  
“Better?”

Fellby quickly changed the subject. “How can you stand this?”

“Stand what?”

 

“...everything? The fucking darkness, the water, the fact that a fucking psycho has stolen the kids and is off to do who knows what with them? What if he already did? What if...”

 

“Fellby, I DON'T stand that,” Grillby replied. “I am barely holding together.”

 

“You don't look it,” huffed Fellby.

 

“It took me a very long time to appear like this,” explained Grillby while marching on. “My LOVE wants me to run faster, burn hotter, destroy everything in my path...”

 

“Sounds great.”

  
“Sounds like losing my mind... and possibly never getting it back,” corrected Grillby. “I am… afraid of losing my control like this, Fellby,” he admitted after a short pause. “I am so... so ANGRY.” With these words, Grillby’s flames flared a deep blue, richer than Fellby's natural tone, mixing into his normal orange hue before disappearing again. “I am so angry at him. I want to... to hunt and destroy and give into what my LOVE wants to do but I can't.”

 

“Why not?”

“...because the kids see me as their angel.”

 

“You DO know about the other side of that story?” inquired Fellby. “The one that says the angel will only come to grant us death? Death being the only thing that can unite us monster?”

 

“...I know of it,” Grillby answered after a while. “But I prefer for fairy tales to have happy endings.”

 

“That's naive,” snorted Fellby. “Hadn't picked you for the type.”

 

“They don’t call them fairy tales for their realism,” said Grillby dryly, “but because they offer hope.”

 

“There is no hope,” Fellby replied automatically. “There are no happy endings. It's stupid to believe otherwise.”

 

“... and still you are here with me, searching for the children.”

 

Fellby did a double take but recovered quick, shaking his head. “Point,” he mumbled. “But... I’m an idiot, remember?”

 

Grillby smiled a tiny bit at that.

Fellby looked away, his face looking a tiny bit purple.

 

They ran in silence after that.

 

“LET MY BROTHERS GO,” a voice rung out from ahead of them. “WHEN THE ANGEL FINDS YOU, YOU’LL BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!”

 

“Would you whelps shut UP already?” an angry voice echoed back.

 

There was a loud crack and a scream of “BROTHER!”

 

“It’s Sans,” Fellby spoke quick, half pushing past Grillby towards the direction of the voices.

 

Grillby nodded and took off, balls of flames forming in his hands.

There was a slapping sound and another yelp.

He could barely control the LOVE burning deep within his soul.

Just a turn more, just a little bit... and then they saw him.

 

Tall and imposing for a skeleton.

The children were floating around him, bound in purple magic.

 

“Ah,” Gaster noticed their flames right away, lowering his hand and even had the gall to smile towards the flames. “I had wondered when you’d manage to catch up.”

 

“ANGEL! UNCLE FELLBY!” cried Papyrus and Saz in union.

Sans was struggling against his bonds, a fresh crack on his skull and obviously in pain.

Pyru and Suny let out a small sound of distress, looking pleadingly towards the two elementals.

Parz, however, had a hollow look upon his features and did not seem to even notice the flames had entered the cavern.

 

“Let the children go,” growled Grillby as he stepped forward.

 

“Why should I hand over my property?” Gaster questioned. “I made them, they are mine to do with as I please. Really, I should have YOU arrested for destroying my research.”

 

“You BASTARD,” howled Fellby, storming forward again.

Gaster’s grin widened and he lashed out with his magic, destroying a thin wall of stone over him before turning around and running away.

 

The stone wall had been the only thing keeping water from their path and a whole wave was rushing in Fellby’s direction.

He would have been hit if not for the wall of fire that appeared suddenly before him, making a loud hissing noise as the water evaporated.

 

Steam erupted forward as Grillby dragged Fellby away from the water, flames dancing. “To the right,” he shouted, shoving at the blue flame from behind. “There’s a path there. Into it, now!”

 

Fellby sprinted to the opening, jumping through it. He heard Grillby coming up behind him, steam and flames following the former soldier.

 

The flame soldier.

 

This wasn't Grillby. He was running through the tunnel with the flame soldier, the one who had killed over 1000 humans on his own, the only flame elemental to join the Royal Army, the monster whom humans feared and hated.

 

Hell's inferno.

 

Hell's fire.

 

He was right behind him, keeping a flood of water from them. Fellby never felt so afraid or alive in his whole life.

 

“This tunnel will meet to one Gaster took,” spoke Grillby, moving his hand to form a shield made of deep red flames over Fellby. “There could be rain. Stay under this.”

 

Fellby just nodded, eyes on the exit and still running.

 

They finally passed the small entrance to the main tunnel and of course there was rain.

Not bad, not much.

But enough for Fellby to almost stop running. He only remembered that he was protected when a drop hit the shield, sizzling out of existence.

 

Grillby placed a hand on the smaller elemental’s shoulder, sending him a short look to confirm if he could continue running or not.

 

Fellby just glanced at him for a moment, before turning his head away.

 

In the distance before them, he could see Gaster disappear around the corner with the children. Fellby sprinted after him, all thoughts of rain and water forgotten.

The shield above them kept Fellby safe and dry as Grillby sprinted beside him, water sizzling as it hit his flames and forming a fine mist trail behind them.

 

Grillby looked out of this world.

 

Not for the first time, Fellby wondered how foes had seen his cousin all those years ago…

He shook his head, turning and locking his eyes on the fleeing form of Gaster.

 

There was no escape!

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, what can we say, Gaster is a slippery bastard. XD
> 
> Also: FANART! :D
> 
> By amannartblog  
> Some really cute skelebro-scenes  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/158470091604/amannartblog-characters-from-antarestyl-and  
> http://amannartblog.tumblr.com/post/158464357020/this-kinda-goes-with-the-last-thing-i-posted-but
> 
> By dealdraws  
> Some Age-Swap with tiny flames and skeletons as caretaker  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/158583681669/dealdraws-i-got-this-cute-request-a-too-long
> 
> Thank you all a LOT for this, it means so much to you. Also thank you at everybody who left a review, Kudo or liked and shared the links on tumblr. See ya all next time. ^^


	25. Shadow of the Past - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chase for Gaster continues. But the questions is... what do they do when they get him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are very sorry.

 

Swabby boarded the Riverperson's boat together with the dogs, his coat wrapped tightly around himself as he sat down on the little seat beside Dogaressa, Dogamy and Doggo opposite of him.

 

Greater Dog and Lesser Dog had both offered to stay behind in Snowdin in case Gaster made an escape back towards the woods. Now they just had to make sure he wouldn't disappear in Hotland or New Home.

 

Swabby felt numb, wrapping his arms around his knees as he stared down to the floor.

 

The Riverperson gave a grim nod to the Dog Guards, not singing his usual song as they moved quickly down the river.

 

“Swabby?” asked Dogaressa after a moment. “Are you alright?”

 

“Fine,” mumbled Swabby. “Just... I was right there. I was in the other room doing laundry when I heard them... and...” He shook his head. “Even if I had known, I couldn't have done anything.”

 

“You would have been harmed,” Dogamy stated.

 

“We would be sad about that,” agreed Doggo. “The puppies would be upset too.”

 

“You did the right thing in alerting Grillby,” informed Dogaressa softly. “He and the blue one will find your puppies.”

 

“Thanks,” mumbled Swabby. “It's just... I hate not being able to DO something.”

 

“Do something?” asked Doggo. “You do plenty, do you?”

 

“I can't do much,” Swabby muttered out, looking at his hands. “I heard the children scream and then a crashing sound and I only... I was just so afraid. When I finally could move and came up to them, they were gone and Fellby was unconscious on the ground,” he continued, taking a deep breath. “When Fellby came to his first words were ‘Gaster’ and ‘kids’ and I just... I didn't know what to do...”

 

“You called for Grillby and for us,” answered Dogamy. “That was good. Now we will finally catch this guy and bring him to justice.”

 

“Where was he anyway all this time?” Swabby questioned. “Why did he come back? Why can't he just... leave us and the kids alone?”

 

“Well... we um...” Doggo stammered, uncomfortable. “We have some... theories about that...”

 

“Theories?” asked Swabby. “What theories?”

 

“He got more labs,” explained Dogaressa. “We smoked out two, all of them empty of course save for more notes and tapes. We think he got even more of them hidden away...”

 

“Even more...” whispered Swabby barely able to believe it himself. “And if we hadn't found them yet...”

 

“He could just disappear in one of them,” finished Doggo, nodding. “It's darn difficult to sniff him out in Hotland. Things just smell so STRONG there.”

 

“It’s the sulfur,” informed Dogamy grimly. “Bad on the nose.”

 

“Why can't you just go through all labs of the royal scientists?” asked Swabby. “I mean, Asgore approved of all of them so there should be a list!”

 

“Well, yeah, there is,” replied Dogaressa slowly. “But it's a LONG list. After the sixth fallen human went through the Underground and killed a lot of monster in the laboratory area, things got a bit... muddy.”

 

“Muddy?” huffed Swabby, trying to remember. “I remember lots of people dying but...”

 

“It was a mess, apparently,” explained Dogamy with a hanging tail. “Lots of monster who were responsible for planning died, lots of documents were lost. After that many couldn't stand to look at the buildings where loved one died and their dust was scattered anymore so the buildings were forgotten or a new building was built over them… There are maybe hundreds of hidden and forgotten rooms and laboratories in New Home alone.”

 

“.. Darn,” Swabby sighed. “So... we better catch him before... he just disappears in Hotland?”

 

“That's the plan... I can't imagine why else Grillby would send us ahead,” agreed Doggo. “He always thinks of things like that.”

 

“You’ve known him for long, huh?” smiled Swabby, honestly a bit glad to talk about something more lighthearted than the situation at hand.

 

“Oh, yeah,” nodded Doggo. “All my life. My grandfather was friends with Grillby as was his dad before him. When gramps disappeared Grillby looked out for me before Dogamy and Dogaressa.”

 

“And Doggo was such a cute little pup,” chuckled Dogamy. “Babysitting him was great.”

 

Doggo blushed a bit at the words, barking something embarrassed sounding to the other two dogs who just chuckled in response.

 

“Grillby was always friends with the dogs in Snowdin,” Dogaressa added. “We respect him and he makes the best kibble.”

 

“That is good,” chuckled Swabby. “I used to worry that he didn't have any friends.”

 

“Well nobody really got all that close to him,” muttered Doggo out. “The whole silence thing… It’s kinda sad but his thing, you know? So we never really bothered him with that. We understand him well enough even on days he doesn't speak at all... And it's even easier with him because he always moves.”

 

“The flames, I understand,” chuckled Swabby.

 

“It's difficult to see things that don't move,” huffed Doggo. “There are so many monster in Snowdin that are just plain RUDE.”

 

Swabby chuckled again softly before his gaze traveled back towards their destination, face hardening.

 

“Tra la la,” the Riverperson sung somberly. “Beware the man who seeks out might, with eyes cold and his prize in sight. The timeline comes closer to a crossroad path, your decisions will determinate the aftermath. Six souls or the blackest void. A future to be built or destroyed.”

 

“...That was a very long and somber oracle,” mumbled Swabby after a few seconds of silence.

 

“Tra la la,” replied the Riverperson, eyes glowing white beneath their hood. “I am sorry, young flame.”

 

“What did you find in the other laboratories?” Swabby questioned the dogs who suddenly seemed uncomfortable after the speech.

 

“...Not good things,” answered Dogamy.

 

“More dust,” replied Dogaressa with a frown. “Mixed with the smell of tiny scared puppies and death. More tapes and journals and… all sorts of stuff.”

 

“…There were never only three pairs... or four with the one you guys found,” spoke Swabby quietly. “There were much more, huh? Ours just...”

 

“From the notes we found, yours seem to be the oldest,” spoke Dogamy softly. “They... were lucky.”

 

Swabby covered his mouth. “My stars and merciful angel, what had this... this soulless person done?”

 

“A lot of unforgivable things,” growled Doggo. “And as soon as we got him, we let him feel the rage of King Asgore.”

 

“Maybe he will let me have a piece first,” Dogaressa snarled as she peted her axe.

 

Swabby nodded numbly, the thoughts of revenge not making things better for him. “Why though?” he asked quietly. “Why would this monster, any monster... create children just to... to do something this horrible to them? Even if he wanted a... a WEAPON of all things. Why children? Why OUR children now? Why did he come for them?”

 

“We don't know,” mumbled Doggo, awkwardly patting Swabby’s shoulder. “But we'll make sure he’ll never do so again.”

 

“We'll help the puppies,” Dogamy promised.  
  
“You are all very good dogs,” said Swabby softly, earning himself some tail waving and happy barks from the group. He was still extremely worried but hoped for the best.

It was all he could do, after all…

 

-

 

Grillby and Fellby had chased Gaster for a while now, always seeing just a hint of him or the tail of his coat, always just a glimpse of purple magic or a word shouted by the children.

They were coming closer and closer to the exit of Waterfall and the entrance of Hotland.

 

They had to stop him fast.

 

Grillby glanced to Fellby, seeing that he was still beside him and safe under the shield. Good. He looked back to the still fleeing Gaster. He did not want to risk attacking him, too afraid of accidentally hitting the kids with how close Gaster dragged their little bodies around, wrapped up in his magic.

 

“Grills, he’s getting away,” shouted Fellby. “We have to DO something.”

 

Grillby did not answer, eyes searching for something, ANYTHING...

 

THERE!

 

One of his hands made a wide gesture and his magic crackled in response. Flames popped to life around him, shaping like arrows. A flick of his wrist sent them forward.

He did not aim for Gaster, rather the walls beside the monster. The fire arrows hit the rocks hard causing the moist, round rocks to crumble and fall before the skeleton’s path.

 

Gaster was too distracted by fire attack and resulting steam that released into the air to notice that the ground became his worst enemy. The scientist wore shoes not suited to run over wet and cluttered surfaces. He slipped, crashing hard upon the ground.

 

The children let out startled yelps as they were jerked around when Gaster fell but were still bound with magic, unable to flee.

 

Gaster was only startled, not beaten by any means.

 

Grillby however used the added time to catch up with the skeleton.

 

“BASTARD,” shouted Fellby as he ran beside Grillby, lava forming in the palms of his hands.

 

While the move brought them closer, the flame elementals were still too far away to do any real damage and Gaster was on his legs again in no time. Grillby noticed a smirk on the monster’s skull as he turned away again, running into the light at the end of the tunnel leading toward the entrance of Hotland.

 

Saz and Suny both screamed out as magic jerked them around so that they were between the flames and Gaster’s back. Grillby could clearly see Saz’ tear stained face and Suny’s terrified expression.

 

“That bastard is using them as shields,” growled Fellby. “I’ll dust him if it’s the last thing I do!”

 

Grillby, however, could not understand him anymore. LOVE sung under his flames.

 

_Hunt him, hurt him, kill him. Murderer and fiend. Crush him, BURN HIM, KILL HIM, TURN HIM INTO ASH AND DUST! MAKE HIM PAY!_

 

It took all his effort not to give in. He focused everything on pushing forward, trying to find an opening.

 

Suny struggled against the magic holding him to no avail.

Saz was still crying, trying to reach out to Fellby.

Fellby’s flames, upon taking notice of the small gesture, shifted to a rich purple, giving off a harsh crackling sound. “STAND STILL ALREADY, YOU BASTARD!”

 

To everyone’s surprise, he did so.

 

Not because of Fellby's command, rather for what waited at the entrance to Hotland.

 

Dogamy and Dogaressa stood with their battle axes in their hands, eyes boring into Gaster while Doggo, wielding duel knives, growled out looking quiet menacing. The Snowdin guard unit blocked the path to Hotland.

Grillby could see the buildings of New Home and the Core looming in the distance, could feel the heat of the lava fields against his flames. The ground under their feet was finally hard and dry, the air hot and filled with the smell of sulfur.

 

Gaster would not be able to just disappear now.

 

Doggo used the moment of shock to step forward. “W.D. Gaster, former Royal Scientist and Citizen of the Monster Kingdom of the Underground,” issued Doggo, baring his teeth and growling slightly before continuing, “You are under arrest.”

 

There was a pause after Doggo made his announcement.

 

In one direction, Grillby and Fellby emerged out of the darkened cave that made up Waterfall, both burning a higher hue than usual. Grillby still held tight to the flame shield, holding it above the two of them even though the threat of water had long since passed.

On the other side, illuminated by the glowing lava of Hotland, stood the Guard Dogs of Snowdin. Light gleamed and reflected off of Dogamy and Dogaressa’s battleaxes as they stood ever-so-slightly behind Doggo, ready to brawl.

Gaster remained cornered between the two forces, his face displaying unmasked surprise as the children hovered around him, contained by his magic. He clearly had not foreseen this turn of events.

 

Sans looked dazed, a dark shadow cast over his skull due to a crack that had not previously been there.

Saz and Suny remained terrified, tears streaking down their cheeks.

Papyrus and Pyru, upon seeing the flames once more alongside the Dog Guards, began struggling in their bonds. Papyrus shouting out words of encouragement to his brothers, trying to get them to do the same.

Parz, unlike the others, remained lifeless save for the small rise and fall of his chest, eyes glazed over and staring ahead without really taking in the world around him.

 

“Gaster,” Doggo growled louder than before, “Let the children go and surrender yourself.”

 

Grillby allowed himself this time to glance at their surroundings.

Swabby wasn't anywhere to be seen… Most likely off to fetch the Royal Guard as instructed.

 

The scientist lowered his head, face hidden from view, and began to cackle.

 

"Stop laughing,” Dogaressa commanded in a snarl. "Surrender or else!"

 

Gaster was still chuckling when he glanced up, his eyes glowing bright purple. “Oh, you’re funny,” he remarked, “for stupid mutts.”

“Let the children go and come along peacefully,” growled Dogamy. “Please comply.”

 

“Please comply,” copied Gaster mockingly before donning a serious expression. “And if I don’t?”

 

“Then we will have to take matters into our own paws,” answered Dogamy, glaring ahead at the skeleton.

 

“You have no idea what is on the line here. I made great discoveries,” retorted Gaster, magic building and forming oddly humanoid shapes around him as he continued. “My research holds the key to finally break the barrier, to unlock this damned prison we’re forced to dwell in.” Hands form within the magic, making signs as the skeleton rambled. “Monster can achieve victory over the humans! It is an audacity that you want to stop me.”

 

“The fuck it is,” cut in Fellby, unable to stand this speech any longer. “You are just a nut job on a power trip.”

 

Gaster turned his attention to Fellby, sneering down on the flame as one would seeing a maggot. “Hilarious,” he scoffed. “Tell me, little blue, do the people around you truly know you? Your crime record outweighs my own by far. You can’t even show your face without the guard wanting-“

 

“SHUT UP,” interrupted the elemental in question, wanting to keep his past deeds from the children’s ear.

 

Grillby placed his arm over Fellby’s, holding his cousin back should be try to attack. “You talk empty words,” he spoke, voice clear and eyes trained on the scientist. “There is simple proof that you, yourself, do not believe what you just said.”

 

“Oh?” mocked Gaster. “Is there?”

 

“...You hid away and came for the children whilst I was gone,” Grillby answered simply. His flames flickered angrily, burning the sleeves of his shirt off. “You know you are guilty for a crime not even Asgore would pardon. You simply did not do research for the betterment of monster kind,” he growled, struggling to remain calm and collected, “you tortured innocent children. You forced them to gain LOVE and KILL! There is no noble goal to reach, no result to excuse your crimes… and you know it.”

 

Gaster blinked at him for a moment before chuckling. “Well that was unexpected,” he remarked. “Though you like playing the hero, don’t you? Did you know that you are in our history books? The king loves to tell little scamps the story of the brave fire elemental who defended us monsters from the terrible humans…” He lets out a snort at his own words. “I, however, could read between the lines. You are the only living monster, besides the king himself, who has a great LOVE weighing him down. How high is it now?” inquired Gaster, perfectly calm. “One hundred? Two hundred? No… higher?”

 

In truth, it was over one thousand. Thick and heavy on his soul. His LOVE burned and twisted his thoughts, pushing at his control constantly.

 

“Yet,” Gaster continued, even taking a step towards Grillby, a sinister smile on his face, “you remain sane. That intrigues me. I studied the effects of LOVE in my research but… well, the experiments never really handed it well. The earliest forms lost their grip with reality making it several times more difficult to control them. It’s a shame to see weeks’ worth of commitment melt away and go to waste.”

 

The Dog Guards collectively tightened their grip around their weapons.

 

“Though a crucial part of any research is failure, I suppose,” the scientist carried on. “Trial and error. I tried different things with each of them. Adjusting their souls, using determination… even altering their minds. To think, this broken little whelp is the only one who survived receiving LOVE.” Gaster eyed Parz at these words. “But instead of getting stronger, it rebelled against me too…”

 

Fellby’s flames flared, turning a dark purple.

 

“Yet you were able to handle so much… I read about you,” stated Gaster. “Oh, I read a lot about you. The great flame solider… but you weren’t alone as the history books would lead one to believe. No, you had friends. Gerson the Hammer, a skeleton warrior named Gatti or some such unrememberable name just as they themselves… and, of course, Healer Sylvan.”

 

Grillby’s breath halted in his throat. A sharp spike of white hot pain gripping at his core. And his LOVE sang _How dare he HOW DARE HE?_

 

“You’re one of the strongest monsters yet you could not even protect those you called your friends… very tragic.”

 

“Stop talking,” muttered Grillby, unsure if his words even had voice.

 

“Did I hit a nerve?” chortled Gaster. “From what I heard, you killed every human on the field that day… Did your LOVE overwhelm you? If so, how ever did you find your way back to sanity?”

 

“Let my children go this instant.”, barked Grillby out, his voice tasting like ash, his words sounding more like a crackling flame.

 

“I’m afraid I cannot do that. You see, I am still far from perfecting my little weapons. As it turns out, my resource for creating new ones got… lost. But these two here, S1 and P1, are the originals. Their souls should surely be able to-“

 

“I WON'T LET YOU!”, interrupted Grillby him, taking a step forward, flame flaring, burning away more of his sleeves.

 

“Ah, ah,” tutted Gaster, the magical hands waving their index fingers at the flame. “No attacking, Grillby. You wouldn’t want to harm these little mutts.” As he spoke, he pulled the children in front of him again, using them as a sudo meat shield.

 

Grillby shook with barely contained rage and helplessness as terrified eyes looked towards him.

 

“No,” Gaster hums out in thought, “perhaps a demonstration is in order. A gift as you could say... for the great things I will bring monster kin.” With a flick of his wrist, Parz was released, falling to the ground before the scientist, purple magic pressing the small skeleton onto his hands and knees. “ _Change_.”

 

Parz cried out, body jerking violently as though he had been shot.

Saz whimpered, trying to get to his brother but held tight by the bonds.

Sans began struggling harder upon hearing the scream though still dazed and clearly unable to focus on where the sound had come from.

Papyrus and Suny both tensed, turning their heads away.

 

Parz’ body began deforming, shifting roughly into his canine form.

 

Unlike his brothers, Parz did not change often. The large gashes and deformities to his skull made for quite a painful process and it always seemed to take him that much longer to return to his humanoid form afterwards.

Now, however, he transformed by word alone. Forced to do so no matter how much pain his tiny body was put through.

 

With another wail of agony, shifting into an eerie howl half way, the metamorphosis was complete and Parz stood before them, frame wracked with small shivers and pulsing red magic as the bonds around him began to fade, only a small amount of purple remaining around his neck and back.

 

“Attack,” ordered Gaster coldly.

 

To everyone’s horror, Parz turned his head, white hot magic building inside his mouth as he took aim for Doggo.  
  


\----

 

Swabby ran towards the nearest outpost of the Royal Guard after leaving the Dog Guards at the connection between Waterfall and Hotland, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. He was worried sick about the children, about what had happened and how he had been helpless to stop it and about would could possibly happen…

 

He tried to clear such thoughts, pushing himself to run even faster. He knew the roads of Hotland like the back of his hand, he had lived here for centuries after all. He knew the people and many secrets that were whispered and done in the shadows… He wasn’t as ignorant as people were led to believe by his happy-go-lucky lifestyle. He knew of the gangs and desperations of monster who were hurt and twisted so much that they would do terrible things without a second thought…

 

There was an outpost close to the large laboratory which was recently given to a young scientist rumored to have a shot at being the next Royal Scientist, However, the laboratory was dark and appeared empty…

 

And there was no patrol guarding the road.

 

“Shit,” the yellow flame cursed softly under his breath. The thought of the scandalous expressions the children would have on their faces had they heard him caused his soul to ache once more.

 

There was a sentry outpost not far from here.

 

Every second counted. Swabby pushed himself further.

 

Every second his children were in more danger.

 

Yet odd little details began springing up in his mind… like how he thought of the boys as his now not simply children of a dear friend. It wasn’t his place, he knew. They were Grillby’s children and that much was clear. The boys loved Grillby and Grillby was their angel whereas he and Fellby were their fun uncle who would have long sleepovers at their house.

 

He supposes he knew it wouldn’t last forever.

Children grow up and, along with aging, help wouldn’t be needed any more.

 

He babysat enough children over the years to understand that fact.

There were times he would spot one of his old charges yet they would pass by him, not even glancing in his direction, any thought of their old babysitter forgotten to time…

It had hurt at first.

 

Friends and young monsters he had thought of like siblings having completely forgotten his name.

Children that laughed at him and fallen asleep while he read stories to them would come to his diner and look blankly at him.

Children of employees that once sat on his lap while their parents worked in the kitchen would turn away from him when they saw him later in life like many of Hotland’s more flame-influenced areas.

 

It hurt a lot to be forgotten.

 

There were a few stable friends in his life, of course. Asklepios, his healer and confidant, who nursed him back to health when he was at his lowest. And Grillby who had given him the confidence to follow his dreams and was always just a letter away.

 

There was nothing Swabby feared more than losing this too.

 

And to lose the children…

 

He would not fail them! He refused!

 

With a huff, he ran faster, magic crackling with every step.

 

 

\----

 

 

“LOOK OUT,” barked Dogamy, shooting forward and shoving Doggo out of the way.

 

The beam hit Dogamy head-on.

 

Dogaressa cried out, running forward as the pair landed hard on the ground.

 

Grillby and Fellby stepped forward, both charging towards Gaster.

 

“Not a step closer,” the skeleton sneered, shaking the magical binds of the other children and causing them to cry out in pain. “You will not interfere with my experiments, not if you don’t want to harm these mutts in the process.”

 

“You bastard,” growled Fellby, balling his hands into fist. “Quit hiding behind the kids.”

 

“At least this way I will finally be able to see if P2 is of any use.”

 

“His name is Parz,” Fellby hissed.

 

“No, it isn’t,” remarked Gaster. “Things do not deserve names.”

 

Dogamy got to his feet with help from Dogaressa. The blast had knocked a good deal of HP from him but he wasn’t about to give up without a fight.

Doggo remained floored, still in shock that such a tiny puppy carried such power.

 

“P2 is an experiment and nothing more. A tool that I shaped for a specific cause even if that was temporally derailed,” continued Gaster, a hint of smugness to his voice. “The lot of them are nothing more than tools: walking, talking dolls.”

 

“They are PUPPIES,” cried Dogaressa, lifting her axe. “How could you?!?”

 

“You seem to think they are monster,” huffed Gaster as he moves Suny before himself, blocking Dogaressa’s path. “They are not. _He_ was just the same… that’s the reason the first series is trash.”

 

“S-stop talking about my… my brothers like that,” pressed out Sans weakly, struggling against the magic with all his might. “Meany.”

 

“Brothers?” Gaster snorted. “You are not brothers. The lot of you were just created from the same source. Nothing more, nothing less. Monster can have brothers. You are not monster, you are tools.” The skeleton turned his attention back towards Parz. “Your only purpose is to fight for _my_ desires.”

 

Parz gave another growl, his magic cracking as it gathered in his mouth as the purple around his neck darkened a bit more. Thin fissures begun appearing in spots over his skull as the magic built up, too much too fast.

 

“STOP, YOU’RE HURTING HIM,” cried Saz. “PLEASE DON’T! PLEASE STOP HURTING HIM! PLEASE!”

 

“PARZ, DON’T DO IT,” screamed Pyru. “STOP LISTENING TO HIM!”

 

It was heartbreaking hearing Saz and Pyru plead like this.  
However, Gaster seemed not to hear.

 

The beam shot forth from Parz’ mouth.

Dogamy was barely able to dodge the blast in time, taking minor damage.

It was clear that neither Dogamy nor Dogaressa wanted to attack the child. They were on their defense, using magical bullets only to absorb the blast fired at them whilst protecting one another.

 

Grillby felt helpless watching them. He could not do much to defuse the situation while Gaster still had the others at his mercy other than keep his eyes trained on the mad scientist, using his souls true magic to  _feel_ out the man.

 

However, he could not get a full sense of him.

Grillby should have been able to see the LOVE of the monster before him. It was, after all, the primary function of the JUDGE spell: to be able to identify EXP and LOVE. Yet, he could not see any of that… It was as if something was  _missing_ …

 

Parz readied another beam, cracks forming around his eye sockets from the magical buildup.

 

Doggo was at his wits end.  
One of the puppies they all grew to care for and love in their own way was being forced to fight them. Any attack they tried would only take away from the precious little HP and trying anything with Gaster would only endanger the other puppies. There was no way he could fight against these odds…

However, he could not allow his friends to get harmed! Doggo quickly built up blue constructs to take the force of the blasts as he jumped beside the other two dogs.

 

Fellby was tense, eyes glancing in every direction to find some way to circumcise this event. His flames were nearly purple yet he could only stand there helplessly listening to the screams of his boys.

 

The JUDGE spell came to Grillby without prompt as he glanced toward his cousin.

 

 _Fellby_  
LV 7  
HP ???  
ATK 65  
DEF 20

_Prepares for LOVE born out of MERCY._

 

Grillby blinked at the stats.

 

“We have to do something,” the blue flame whispered though Grillby barely caught it. “He’ll make Parz kill the dogs… he’ll take away the kids and… and… we gotta do something, we gotta before…” There was already lava gathering in his hands.

 

Grillby’s mind tried to piece together what Fellby was implying, eyes returning to the fight.

There had to be some way to stop Parz. Some way to make Gaster drop the other children.

 

“We…” Fellby was shaking. “We have to… to… give them mercy.”

 

“What?” Grillby whispered sharply back, the thought that creeped into his mind at the words to horrible to believe.

 

“I… I…”

They were interrupted by a painful yelp as one of Parz’ blasters finally connecting, throwing Dogamy into the cave wall causing both Dogaressa and Doggo to yell out in alarm.

 

With a curse, Fellby charge forward. There wasn't enough time for words.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so sorry... 
> 
> Buuuut... how about some cute fanart? :D We got so much amazing fanart again! Thank you all so very much! <3
> 
> By Dealdraws  
> Fellby, Muffet and some others in cute clothing http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/159690688444/antarestyl-dealdraws-deal-right-hello  
> Fellby turning into a kid http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/159875986504/antarestyl-namekian-maoh-antarestyl  
> More kid!Fellby (he is so goshdarn cute) http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/159899168036/dealdraws-compilation-of-yesterdays-drawings-i  
> A really beautiful pic of Swabby http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/160130689144/deal-right-antarestyl-dealdraws-the-second  
> Grillby kicking Gaster in the face. this chapter should have gone this way... http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/160135105739/antarestyl-dealdraws-after-reading-the-last  
> kid!Fellby, Suny and Papyrus on the surface and Fellby with his trusted gang-member: Bob. http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/160373599936/dealdraws-i-finally-get-to-answer-some-asks-it  
> the Anon-button became a member of Fellby's gang http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/160380220533/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-the-anon-button
> 
> By Nodiel  
> Pixel-Swabby. (I still wanna hug him) http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/159708303546/swabby-1b  
> Pixel Art of Frisk and Fellby. http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/159708269561/2a-with-frisk-plz  
> All blue flames in pixel art style, very nice. https://nodiel-1971.tumblr.com/post/159915583617/all-the-different-blue-flames-in-whatever-pose-you
> 
> By Pippa  
> Super cute role!reverse AU where the flames are kids and the skeletons take care of them. XD http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/160345172469/antarestyl-pippa-frost-here-it-is-ahhh-my
> 
> ... I REALLY hope we haven't forgotten anything. If there was more we haven't seen please let us know. Also THANKS AGAIN to all artists, you are so amazing! Also thanks to everybody commenting and/or reblogging. ^^ Also, check out our tumblrs, we answered a whole bunch of questions these last days. XD
> 
> And now, welp, see you all next time!


	26. Shadow of the Past - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to fight now, even if things look very very grim. Fellby makes decisions, Grillby gives up an old vow and Gaster shows all of them his ultimate power.

“Finish them,” ordered Gaster, his voice calm and monotone.

Parz’ body flinched, the purple glow surrounding his neck growing strong enough to match the brilliant white light of the blast forming within his mouth.

“What are you waiting for?” asked Gaster annoyed, making a gesture with one of the mystical hands surrounding him.

 

“NO!”

 

The bone dog made a surprised sound, taking a step backwards as Fellby suddenly landed between him and the Dog Guards. His beam fired harmlessly into one of the lava streams nearby.

 

“Oh?” Gaster stated, mildly surprised. “Look who came out to play… Though I remember telling you not to move.”

Fellby let out a low growl, his flames burning purple as he moved into a low stance.

 

“However,” continued Gaster, “I should test how my weapons fair against a stronger opponent.”

 

Parz shifted, leaning forward on his front paws while his tail stiffened out. The glow around his neck and back began to look increasingly like a leash.

 

Fellby did not like this at all. “Come on, brat,” he mumbled lowly, allowing flames to surround his fist. “Shake this shit off already.” Green began filling his eyes, concealed behind the dark shades, the check spell coming easily to him.

 

Parz  
LV ??  
HP 20 of 26  
ATK ??  
DEF ??  
_Smells of static and fear._

 

He was missing some HP though far from the danger zone.

 

Fellby inched closer, unsure of how exactly he should finish this. His mind was filled with Mercy yet his heart ached to even think of such. He just had to stop him, had to snap him out of it.

 

Parz let out a low growl, keeping the now purple flame in his line of vision. Red magic began bubbling around his claws yet to take on form.

 

Fellby launched forward, trying to land a punch but Parz easily evaded him using a side step technique. A grim smirk worked its way to Fellby’s mouth. He was glad that at least one of the boys had remembered the move he’d taught them but… he never thought he’d actually have to fight any of them for real! Even if Parz was being controlled…

Still, Parz never learned any magic as far as Fellby was aware save from the blast which all of the boys seemed to have been able to use from the beginning… so it was more than likely that Gaster could only force Parz to do what he already knew and not something new.

 

Fellby barely evaded another hot beam as his thoughts wondered. He shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate and push emotion aside. He had to be careful, he couldn’t mess this up.

 

He shifted as Parz charged forward then struck out quickly, kicking the skeleton’s hind legs out from underneath him.

 

A loud crack filled the air.

Parz’ HP sank to 16. He howled out, crashing on his side.

 

Fellby moved quickly, delivering one good punch that dropped the skeleton’s HP to 12 before a blast caught his arm, sending him plummeting.

Parz stumbled back to his feet, growling at the flame elemental as magic filled in the gaps of his body.

 

“This is your great moral superiority?” inquired Gaster, watching the fight. “Just punch and kick the whelp you just passionately defended?” He sneered, snorting out. “Flame of his word indeed.”

 

“Stop this nonsense already,” commanded Grillby body shifting to get into the fight but stopping whenever Gaster raised his hand moving one of the other children closer to himself indicating that he would not hesitate to use them against Grillby. “What do you have to gain with this?”

 

The scientist focused his attention on Grillby. “Nonsense? My research is important to all monster kind.”

 

Parz stood still save for small trembles running through his body, tears falling freely from his eyes.

 

“Nothing important is born from torturing others,” snarled Grillby, “especially so when it entails innocent children.”

 

“Sentiment is nothing but an illusion,” spoke Gaster, shaking his head. “An illusion I had to break out of them too.”

 

Fellby’s flames darkened, nearly turning white at the tips. “You bastard,” he hissed out, eyes still trained on Parz. “Do you think we’ll let you get away with that?”

 

The scientist chuckled, shrugging off the words. “The ends justify the means.”

 

“You…” Fellby was quivering, flames barely controlled. He could read well the pleading look within Parz’ eyes as he focused more on the tear covered face, a look he knew all too well.

 

_Mercy, Mercy, Mercy._

 

“ _... will you give us mercy?”_

 

With a growl he shot forward again, catching Parz on the left with a strong kick.

Parz let out a yelp as his leg connected, flames dancing around his ribcage and turning his bones black.

 

His HP nosedived, barely leveling at 4.

 

Parz turned his head, biting hard into the dark flames.

Fellby cried out as teeth sunk deep into his arm though fought through the pain, turning and wrapping his free arm around Parz’ neck in a tight grip.

 

Parz made a startled sound, shaking his head wildly trying to remove Fellby. This, of course, caused him to bite deeper.

 

HP continued to drop from the flames and heat: 3… 2…

 

Fellby felt his chest tighten. His eyes began to sting and his vision began to get blurry around the corners. With a grunt he leaned abruptly forward, headbutting Parz right in the center of his skull.

 

HP dropped to 1.

Parz’ eyes darkened as his body went lax, collapsing into a heap of bones.

 

Fellby let go of him, panting heavily, wiping tears away as he looked at the unconscious form of Parz. He had to get him home soon… let him rest and heal up. Then he could apologize.

 

But first they had to deal with this beast!

 

“Clever,” commented Gaster with a deep chuckle. “But did you really believe it would end like that?”

 

“What are you babbling about, bastard?” hissed out Fellby.

 

“Simply that you are a fool to believe I trust in something as fragile as a conscious mind.” Gaster snapped his fingers and the purple around Parz' neck came back to life, spreading over his back and down his limbs.

Fellby could only watch in horror as Parz’ body began to stand back up, the boy’s eyes now shinning dully with magic residue. His CHECK skill focused in without his prompt.

 

Parz

LV ??

HP 1 of 26

ATK ??

DEF ??

_An unconscious puppet controlled by magical strings._

 

“You…” Words left him for a moment as he stared on in shock. “You… insane bastard,” Fellby finally managed, voice deepening in rage as his senses kicked back in. “I’ll fucking-“

He was interrupted as a white-hot beam of magic pounded the center of his core, sending him crashing into the cavern wall.  
  
“FELLBY!” Grillby called out, centering himself between the two skeletons and his cousin.

 

Fellby blinked away the daze and pain as he glanced towards the voice.

 

Grillby  
LV ??  
HP FFFFFF/FFFFFF

ATK ??  
DEF ??  
_Smells of smoke and rage._

 

Grillby’s flames danced angrily in a bright blue hue. “Let him go this instant,” he spoke, voice sounding oddly calm for the situation.

 

“I think not.”

 

“PARZ, PLEASE,” shouted Saz, face covered in tears and mucus.

 

It broke Fellby. He knew Gaster would use Parz to kill… His flames flickered, lowering in heat ever-so-slightly as he looked on. This was hopeless… What would happen if this kept on? What would happen when they were defeated and the children were back within this mad man’s custody?

 

What could they do?

What should they do?

 

“…” Fellby gulped, pushing himself up and limping to his cousin’s side. “… give them mercy.”

 

“What?” whispered back Grillby, glancing towards the flame.

 

Fellby turned fully to Grillby and Grillby finally caught sight of his cousin’s eyes behind the shaded glasses, only just. Fellby was terrified and giving off faint shivers yet radiated with a strange sense of resolve.

 

Their conversation was cut short as Gaster forced Parz to attack anew.  
Grillby dodged with Fellby in his arm, flames drawing in front of them like a shield yet dispelled by the force of the attack.

 

Fellby felt dizzy as Grillby drug him along, twisting them out of range of the barrage.

At one point, Fellby witnessed his cousin take a direct hit, seeming absorbing the blast into himself without causing any damage, not a single dent in his HP. It was unfair. Those beams hurt like hell yet it was nothing to Grillby…

“Grills,” he gasps after a stretch in battle, holding tight to his arm, “We can’t keep this up.” There was a patch in his flame that had turned deep red, cooling to look increasingly like the lava surrounding them.

 

“We have to figure out something.”

 

“Like what?” the younger elemental snapped back. “The Dog Guards are down, we can’t break through that bastard’s control. This… This is fucked up! We have to-“

 

Grillby grunted as Parz barreled towards them, skirting out of the way and dragging Fellby along. His flames barely forming a shield in time to shelter Fellby from another blast.

 

“Listen to me,” growled Fellby out finally.

 

“Perhaps you should listen to the idiot,” chuckled Gaster, magic shimmering strongly round his fingertips. “There is nothing more you can do from here… Your choice should be quite simple. Either allow my weapon to kill the mangy mutts you guard or, well, break it. While the later would be an unfortunate loss, I could try one of the untrained one…”

 

Suny shivered as the scientist glanced his way.

Pyru let out a protesting shout but was silenced quickly as Gaster shook him with magic.  
  


“FUCK YOU, BASTARD,” screamed Fellby, struggling against Grillby’s hold. “I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS SHIT.”

 

“And here I thought you had finally seen the error of your effort,” Gaster sighed out, shaking his head. “What a pity.”

 

Fellby’s hands clinched, fire surrounding his fist.

Grillby glanced towards his cousin not understanding his plan. Fellby looked afraid and… was he crying? Wait… he couldn’t mean…

 

Parz lifted his head, mouth open and gathering energy for a new attack.  
The flames swirled around Fellby’s fists, turning more lava like in consistency.

 

Grillby felt dread seep over his soul. No, Fellby would never…

 

Suddenly a bright yellow orb shot between them, exploding before their eyes like a firework simultaneously blinding both Gaster and the two fighting flames.

Gaster cried out and rubbed over his eye-sockets, bright yellow flames still licking over his hands where they had landed as the orb exploded. The purple around his fingers faded slightly.

 

Parz let out a scream, shaking his head as he woke only to be tackled and pulled away, pushed against his brothers and apart from the purple magic that bound them. Parz’ body, however, was still exhausted and quickly collapsed into the outstretched yellow arms like a marionette whom strings were detached.

 

“GRILLBY, FELLBY,” screamed Swabby, holding the children for dear life. “NOW!”

 

Wasting no time, Grillby swung his arm out, building a wall of thick fire between the children and the battle. “GET THE CHILDREN AWAY FROM HERE, SWABBY,” he shouted back, focusing his attention once more on the mad scientist.

 

Fellby blinked, the flames that had once been building up around his hand vanishing with a faint hissing sound. “I… Swabby? Here? But…”

 

Swabby looked over the wall, giving a small nod though sure neither of his cousins could see the action before quickly gathering Parz and Suny into his arms while the Royal Guards beside him hastily picked up the other children along with the Guard Dogs.

The small ragtag group quickly begin to make their retreat, disappearing behind Grillby's makeshift wall.

 

Grillby took a deep breath, his flames crackling angrily. “Now you have no hostages.”

 

“Hmph,” roughly breathed out the once-again blue flame beside him, a small grin forming on his face. “Tables have been turned on ya. Not such a badass now that you can’t hide behind little kids, are ya?”

 

Meanwhile, Gaster lowered his arm, waving away some leftover yellow flames and growling lowly as he registered that the children and guard dogs were missing. “You,” he hissed, his face now a mask of rage as he processed what just occurred. “Give my property back at once!”

 

Grillby felt deep satisfaction at the sight, his LOVE singing under his flames. “… They are not property,” he stated, changing from blue to violet to an almost blackish purple with streaks of white appearing within his flames. “They are not experiments. They are CHILDREN,” his voice crackled loudly, sounding increasingly like burning coals. “MY CHILDREN!”

 

This creature before him had hurt his children, his family… mocked everything he fought for…

 

He would make him pay!

 

“Grills…?” Fellby took a single step back, body barely listening to his orders as he shielded his eyes from the bright glare of Grillby’s flames with his good arm whilst his injured arm hung limply at his side. He could feel the LOVE coursing thickly through the air. It was terrifying yet… somehow exciting.

 

“I had sworn never to fight again,” he continued, his body so hot that the very stone underneath his feet begun to melt. “In your case, I can make an exception.”

 

This man was responsible for the nightmares, for the suffering, for all the fear…

 

This man created innocent children only to kill them…

 

_HE WOULD PAY!_

 

_KILL HIM._

 

For a moment, Grillby lost himself to his rage, gave in to the sweet voice of his LOVE that whispered with revenge and justice and vengeance.

With a roar, he threw himself at Gaster, his humanoid form forgotten as his body turned into pure destruction and flame.

 

Gaster tried to dodge and succeeded.

 

For all of three seconds.

 

Grillby spun around, not even thinking on what he was doing, letting his LOVE and rage lead his movements.

 

The scientist blocked the kick aimed at his face with strings of magic which brought Grillby’s leg to a halt however he was not prepared for the fist slamming into his thigh.

 

Grillby spun around, landing on the ground crouching and punched upwards, his movements too fast for Gaster to block or protect himself. He continued, hitting the skeleton hard in the ribcage.

 

Gaster stumbled back, catching himself and trying to gain his footing however the flame solider never allowed him to. This time, the kick to the head connected, spinning Gaster fully around and causing him to hit the ground face first. He painfully turned, making a feral sound as he lashed out with purple and blue magic.

 

Grillby waved off the attack, drowning the pathetic looking magic out in his own flames, letting it fuel his rage. He wanted to laugh at the hilarity of this creature, this worm, who dared to oppose him. His flames shifted to a brilliant white.

 

Grillby raised his foot, letting it drop hard on the skeleton’s knee.

The scream Gaster let out as his bones broke under the intense pressure resonated within Grillby’s LOVE.

 

He wanted to hear more, he NEEDED to hear more!

 

His foot came down on Gaster’s right hand, the same hand which had controlled Parz just moments earlier, shattering it to pieces and burned away at the lab coat.

 

Gaster let out a whimper.

 

Grillby responded with a growl of his own.

Was this pathetic stain on the ground begging for mercy? He hadn’t given it to the children as they begged him…

 

He didn’t deserve any.

 

Mercy was out of the picture.

 

Grillby snarled and leaned down, looking the skeleton deep in the eyes.

 

This was good... but not enough.

 

_Hurt him, burn him, kill him._

 

He would take his soul, take the very essence of this creature and rip it out of him.

He would crush and destroy him.

Everything he is, everything he could be. Everything will be lost and forgotten.

 

And he would laugh and burn and…

 

And…

 

And…

 

Grillby paused, blinking. His arm was only millimeters from Gaster’s chest.

 

Did he really want to do this?

 

Could he really kill another again?

 

“Grills, what are you doing?!? Don’t just stand there, kill this bastard!”

 

There was a voice, noise.

 

Grillby couldn’t. He had sworn to never kill again.

This wasn’t him. He was not his LOVE.

 

Using the moment hesitation, Gaster kicked out, knocking Grillby’s legs out from underneath him and got to his feet, moving away from the flame elemental.

Grillby’s attack had melted half of his skull and his right hand was nothing more than molten shards. His left leg was shattered and most of his clothing had burned away revealing blackened, broken ribs but that did not stop him from laughing out.

A purple glow surrounded his bones as though he were using his magic to hold himself together.

 

“You… you really are something, Grillby,” the skeleton huffed out, reaching inside his lab coat and removing a glass vial containing dark red liquid.

 

Grillby stood, flames slowly returning to their natural color.

 

“What power,” continued Gaster, crackling like a madman. “You melted my bones… and so vicious! The beast inside you… I want to study you… your soul… How you control this terrifying might…” He popped the cork off of the vial as he spoke. “And how you could be so STUPID not to use it! I… I will show you what true power is.”

 

“DAMN IT, GRILLBY,” shouted out Fellby, storming towards Gaster.

 

But it was too late.

 

Gaster drank down the vial, laughing manically as his body have a shutter before collapsing to the ground. The skeleton gave a grunt as his bones begun changing, voice deepening as his laughter echoed off the cavern walls.

 

Fellby halted in his steps, watching on in horror as Gaster went through a similar transformation as the children.

 

Bones broke as they enlarged, new bones growing quickly to finish off the structure. With a loud CRACK, two elongated arm-like bones forced their way out of Gaster’s back, expanding and spreading until they revealed wings. Furthermore, his skull seemed to melt more, twisting and hardening as long, sharp teeth replaced the natural dull ones. His hands, likewise, began to reshape themselves into claws as a long, whip-like tail lashed its way into existence.

 

Instead of a canine like the children, Gaster had transformed into a giant, terrifying dragon!

 

Grillby stared up at Gaster who now towered over them, dispelling the flames Grillby had drawn around them with one flap of his wings.

 

A roar shook the cave, small rocks flying everywhere as Gaster laughed out, looking over his new body. “THIS… THIS IS POWER!” he declared.

 

Grillby shielded Fellby from the falling debris and felt his core grow cold when he noticed the illumination of Swabby’s retreating flames in the distance.

They had covered quite some ground but it was not out of reach of a dragon, especially so if he should have a blast attack similar to the children.

 

“AHHH,” Gaster grinned, “THERE YOU ARE.” White light began to gather inside Gaster’s maw.

 

“NO!” screamed out Fellby.

 

Grillby felt his mind cloud over, seeming moving far away from his body as he begun sprinting, urging himself, his flames, EVERYTHING to MOVE.

 

Gaster's mouth was full of magic, white hot plasma. His neck moved backwards a tiny bit to brace himself for the kickback of the attack. His maw opened wider, taking aim of the group of monsters who were not far enough away…

 

And then a white glowing fist hit him in the corner of the snout, forcing his head sharply to the side.

The beam shot harmlessly into a patch of lava, sending up a burst of sparks that raining down around the three.

 

Gaster staggered back, not used to having four legs instead of two.

  
Grillby landed hard on his feet, the flames of his hand still white in color whilst the rest of his body burned a harsh purple.

 

Gaster let out a fierce roar, turning towards the two flames, rage radiating from his body in waves. “I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!” the dragon screamed out, opening his giant mandibles as magic gathered behind his fangs.  
  
“FUCK,” cursed Fellby, running towards Grillby’s side as though he wanted nothing more than to pull him away. “GRILLS, WE NEED TO—“

 

His words were cut off as the bone dragon before them suddenly hiccupped.

 

The gathering magic seemed to dissipate, leaving Gaster looking confused as his bones began shaking. “W…what?”

 

Grillby tensed, unsure if this was some sort of trap or trick.

 

The bone dragon let out a terrifying scream and begun to thrash around as it’s legs began to melt, merging together in a sickening goopy puddle

Neither Grillby nor Fellby knew what was going on yet they were unable to turn their eyes away from the sight.

 

Gaster painfully began clawing at everything around him but nothing could stop his dissolving into… nothingness.

And as soon as he melted away, even the goop seemed to disappear in of puff of dust.

 

The two flames stared on in disbelieve as Gaster vanished from their view, only the ruined lab coat left behind.

 

“Is…” Fellby gulped, blinking at the decreasing pile of dust. “Is he dead?”

 

Grillby carefully approached the spot Gaster once stood and checked over the area.

 

No soul.

 

And monster dust.

 

“He is dead,” whispered out Grillby, unsure if he even had a voice still or not. “It’s over.”

 

“R…really? That’s it?”

 

Grillby looked back at Fellby who still held tight to his injured arm. His own flames cooled down again, back to his natural orange automatically. “That’s it.”

 

The ground cooled though still resembled much of the lava surrounding them as a handful of the Royal Guard came out of their makeshift shelters.

There were questions asked which Grillby had no answer.

 

Not now anyways.

 

A glance towards Fellby’s direction showed that he felt pretty much the same.

 

“We need you to tell us what happened,” a guard beside Grillby spoke out.

Grillby shook his head, hands forming the sign for ‘ _Later’_ .

 

Gaster was dead but this was far from over.

 

Grillby stepped to his cousin’s side, pointing in the direction of the Riverperson.

 

Fellby, luckily, understood and gave a small nod before he began limping in said direction, silent and shaken from the events.

 

Grillby’s magic and LOVE still raged within him.

 

They had to talk. That much was certain.

 

Fellby stumbled and Grillby quickly wrapped an arm around the flame out of reflex, guiding him as they continued forward.

 

The shadow of the past lay behind them.

 

And before them lay an unseen path to the future.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... we are so sorry. Really. XD  
>  Well, next time we will see the fallout of all of this. And there is going to be fallout. Lots of it. 
> 
> Welp, time for fanart! :D
> 
> antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/160527090146/that-last-chpt-broke-my-soul-can-we-get-some by http://deal-right.tumblr.com/  
> (a very very cute Parz to sooth your nerves XD)
> 
> antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/160443411091/art-request-what-if-the-roles-were-reversed-and by http://pippa-frost.tumblr.com/  
> (the reverse caretaker AU, now with captions. XD)
> 
> Thanks so much for the fanart again. Also thanks for all comments, rebloggs, likes and kudos. Also, check out our tumblrs again, lots of questions got answered again.   
> Thanks and see you next time. ^^


	27. Shadow of the Past - Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath. Where wounds are still raw and talks happen that nobody wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please beware the warnings:
> 
> Talking about traumatic situations, talk about the death of a child, talking about killing, talking about war, mentions of mercy-killing, mention of suicide. Plus... well you know what happened in these last chapters, this is the very bad fallout. 
> 
> Just... it's gonna be okay. Just remember the school chapters come after these. :D

 

 

It was a slow walk back to the Riverperson. Neither flame so much as uttering a word between themselves, both of them numb and deep in thought.

 

Grillby kept close to Fellby, keeping a watchful eye on his damaged arm and hand.

 

“Tra-la-la...,” sung the Riverperson from afar, the song faltering as they approached. “Are you two all right?”

 

Grillby glanced towards the monster in charge of the ferry, not saying a word and not raising his hands to sign. The fact that Fellby did not start his usual ranting seemed to be indication enough that something was indeed wrong. The Riverperson did not question them further, just nodding slowly and letting them on board, not even asking to where they want to go.

 

Fellby had leaned against the taller flame during the short boat ride to Snowdin and continued to do so as they made their way back to the house, both of them relieved to see Swabby’s glow coming from the living room windows from afar.

 

When they entered, they saw Swabby and the children huddled together on and around the couch.

Someone had called Asklepios who was busying himself in the process of healing Dogamy while a patched up Doggo and worried Dogaressa sat beside him.

 

Sans’ skull was patched up in a turban of bandages.

Parz was back in his humanoid form, his entire body covered in bandages which glowed faintly of healing salve. He was huddled into a corner of the couch a bit further away from the others, his back turned to the group.

 

Suny clung to Swabby as though his life depended on it while Pyru tried his best to keep hold of both Swabby, Suny and Saz at the same time. He kept looking to Parz too, eyes darting around the room from time to time but he made no attempt to reach out to his other brothers.

 

Sans, likewise, was held tightly by Papyrus who seemed unable to keep his bones from rattling.

 

All of them were obviously still shaken from the event that just transpired.

 

Not that it kept them away from the two flames as they entered the living room. There was a wordless cry and it was impossible to say from whom it came. The only sure thing was that the children launched themselves forward towards the flames. Only Pyru and Suny stayed with Swabby, even if they both made happy sounds at seeing Grillby and Fellby both while the others quickly ran to them. Even Parz looked up and sudden movement filled his form as he leaped towards Fellby.

 

Fellby was a bit quicker than Grillby in gathering Saz and Parz into his arms and holding them to himself. He could feel the flinch from Parz and Saz’ shaking and held on even stronger.

 

Damn it. He had almost lost them. And that bastard went out way too easily!

 

Grillby bent down and hugged onto Sans and Papyrus. There were tears and mumbled words that he couldn’t quiet comprehend which only spurned him to hold tighter. He knew they had to talk, all of them, but for now all that was needed was comfort.

 

Somehow, they all ended up on the couch, smashed together as Asklepios continued to heal the dogs who were smiling at them despite everything.

 

Once finished with the others, the healer slithered over to the couch. “I should run a check on the both of you as well,” he insisted.  
  


Grillby, of course, allowed without question.

Fellby, who usually would have denied within an instant, had no energy to fight against the request though did pull his arm away when Asklepios’ magic began to flow to heal him.

 

“I don’t need your fucking help,” he growled out, flames flickering angrily as he glared towards the feathered monster.

 

Asklepios just frowned in response, letting out a small sigh as his magic dimmed. “At least take some salve.”

 

The blue flame grumbles something under his breath as he snatched the small container from the healer’s outstretched hand. He looked at it with an expression of confusion for a moment, only now noticing that he wouldn't be able to reach all the spots he would need to with only one arm.  
  
“Fellby…” mumbles Swabby softly beside him, scooting closer to the taller elemental.

The grumbles paused as he glanced towards the voice.  
  
Swabby shook his head softly before reaching out and taking the salve, opening it and beginning to apply it to Fellby’s wounds. Fellby wanted to say something but quite honestly, he was exhausted and he had no better idea to do what had to be done so he let Swabby do as he pleased.

 

Dogamy moved over, speaking with Grillby in hushed tones, mostly questions about what had happened.

 

Asklepios glanced over the small gathering before turning his attention back towards the yellow flame. “May I borrow the kitchen? I’m sure some hot tea will help relax the nerves.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Swabby nodded approval. “The tea bags should be in the top cabinet by the stove. Do you need any help?”

 

“I can manage.”

 

Fellby visibly relaxed as Asklepios stepped out of the room.

 

Grillby began telling the Dog Guards about the demise of Gaster, the children listening intently to every word. Normally Grillby would have censored himself from speaking of such in front of the children but, to be perfectly honest, he felt the children needed to hear how the creature of their nightmares came to an end.

 

Besides, it wasn’t any worse than Fellby’s bedtime story.

 

Asklepios soon returned with tea and the dogs shared their dog biscuits, however the children only ate little as the night continued.

 

Once everything was said and done, they said their goodbyes to everyone.

Doggo and Dogaressa supported Dogamy as they left for their home.

The healer gave them a sad smile, leaving behind candy, healing salve and instructions for everyone’s current health along with some soothing words before exiting himself.

 

They sat together in silence and darkness save for the light of the flames, none of them having the strength to speak and all of them feeling some degree of numbness and tired.

 

Nighttime came and with it brought Sans looking fearfully up to Grillby. Grillby knew he couldn’t handle this. A quick glance towards his cousins showed them too looking exhausted and frightened… as lost as Grillby himself felt. But…

 

“He’s gone,” whispered Grillby as he nuzzled Sans. “He is gone and won’t come back.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.”

 

There was no way he was letting go of the children this night!

 

Swabby and Fellby seemed to have the same intentions, all of them finding themselves laying within Grillby’s bed later with the children in a heap around them. The children seemed to feel safe like this and, to be honest, Grillby did so likewise.

 

Nothing would steal them away in the night as long as he kept watch.

 

Fellby lay across the foot of the bed, his head resting against Grillby’s legs as his own intertwined with Swabby’s. Saz and Parz laying flush against his back, though Fellby had not protested when the children took the spot. The rest of the children were pretty much cuddled between them flames.

 

Grillby did not sleep that night. He wasn’t entirely sure if his cousins were actually asleep or just pretending to do so either… but it was the longest night of his life.

 

At some point, Grillby gave up trying. Too much restless energy and the growling of LOVE still burning beneath his flames. He shifted, getting up from bed as careful as possible and rearranged Swabby gently so the children stayed between the two remaining flames before making his way to the kitchen.

 

In times of great stress, his mind often turned to cooking.

 

Worry cooking, Swabby had called it and he was right.

 

Grillby enjoyed the long-practiced movements. Creating something with his hands had always calmed him.

 

First is had been working at home, simple tasks even he could do when he was barely eight years old whilst trying to forget how weak and sickly his mother looked and the broken sight of his father.

Later it was distracting himself from the war. Distracting himself from remembering soft laughter and tight hugs of vines and bark, the smell of blooming oranges… Distracting himself from the screams and the smell of burning flesh and burning wood, the feeling of dust thick on his hands and body.

Then it came simply as a distraction from the LOVE twisting under his flames, hungry and relentless. From the darkness and hopelessness brought on by demands of stories and praise for being good at killing.

 

Distracting himself from both life and death.

 

It was easy.

 

He made fries and burgers. Just complex enough that he could fully concentrate on the task at hand.

 

Going overboard and making enough for a week.

 

He was thinking of starting a pie with the left-over fruits in the fridge when he heard the click of bones against the ground. He stilled.

 

In the shine of orange flames stood Sans, the bandages casting sharp shadows around his face as the white lights of his eyes shined brightly.

 

Grillby turned to face the child. “Can’t sleep?”

 

Sans gave a shake of his head, fiddling his hands together before his chest. There was the blue shine of Sans's magic around his eyes too, a sign that Sans was close to or had been crying.

 

“Hot coco?”

 

The skeleton nodded, moving to sit at the table.

 

Grillby smiled a tiny bit as he turned around to work.  
This was something both of them were quiet used to by now.  
How many nights had they spent this way? Sans sitting at the table while Grillby made sea tea or hot chocolate…

 

Sans was prone to nightmares, during the first year near impossible to calm. Grillby had forgotten how many times he either came to the child when he screamed out for the angel or how often Sans had come to him, shaken and crying or silent and eyes hollow.

There were nights when Grillby took Sans down to the living room, sometimes together with Papyrus when he refused to let go of his brother, and sat with him in his lap on the couch for hours until the boy passed out from sheer exhaustion.

He got better with time, of course, but there were still many nights where both of them could find no sleep.

This became their ritual. One of them would be in the kitchen, the other would follow and Grillby would make them something to drink until Sans felt ready to either go back to sleep or to start the day with his brothers.

 

If he tried hard enough Grillby could tell himself that it was now just like one of those days too as he went through the necessary steps to prepare the hot drink.

 

He sat at the table, sliding Sans’ mug over to him before sipping at his own cup.

Sans looked a bit calmer after taking a gulp from his coco.

 

“Nightmare?” asked Grillby, his voice raspy and not quite cooperating.

 

Sans nodded at the question. “I uh… I keep thinking about… He looked… umm…,” He faltered, eyes casting down before he continued. “He just took all my brothers,” the boy muttered out, looking deep into the dark liquid. “You told us not to open the door…”

 

“It’s not your fault.”

“But-“  
“No, Sans,” Grillby cut in, his voice firm as Sans looked at him. “He was a twisted monster. He caused all of this, you are not at fault here. None of you.”

 

“… He hurt Uncle Fellby.”

 

“He did,” the flame agreed softly. “He may have hurt him worse had he been the one to answer the door.” Or Swabby... The possibility of either of them getting hurt, more so than they already were, did not sit well with Grillby. He raised the hot coco to his lips, breathing deeply of the steam to banish these thoughts.

 

“He wouldn’t have hurt anybody if it wasn’t for us,” mumbled Sans.

 

Grillby stood at the words and walked to Sans side, halting the boy’s speech as he placed his hand gently on the boney shoulder.

“Sans,” he began soothingly, “Don't think like that. There is no greater joy in my entire life than having met you and your brothers. Swabby and Fellby feel the same.”

 

Large tears threatened to fall from Sans’ eyes and Grillby kneed down beside him to be on the same level as he was.

 

“I love you,” whispered Grillby, “You and your brothers very much.”

 

Sans finally let out a sob and lunged forward, hugging onto Grillby tightly. “I was scared,” he admitted, voice coming in sobs more than speech.

 

“I know,” whispered Grillby, petting over Sans’ skull. “I was scared too.”

 

“Really?” questioned Sans, looking up to Grillby in surprise. “But… you’re the angel…”

 

“I am just a monster,” the orange flame replied softly, gently wiping the tears away. “I make mistakes just as anyone else… I wasn’t there today when Gaster came. I was helpless when he used you and your brothers as shields… I was terrified.”

 

“But… you saved us.”

 

“Together with your uncles,” reminded Grillby. “I really am just a monster, Sans. I can be wrong and afraid too. Especially for you boys.”

 

Sans stayed silent for a long while, leaning into the hug. “I… I knew you weren’t THE angel,” he mumbled out after the pause. “But… you were always there and… and so kind to us. You helped my brothers… and me… and… but you didn’t have to…”

 

“But I wanted to. First because it was the right thing to do,” Grillby spoke. “Now it’s because I love you.”

 

Sans sniffled, holding strongly to the flame. “I… I saw him,” he mumbled, muffled by Grillby’s shirt. “He grew… changed like… like my brother and me.”

 

“He is nothing like you.”

“But…”

“Sans, you saw what happened to him.”

 

“But… but if it happened to him… will it happen to us too?” questioned Sans. “What if… if Papyrus gets excited and changes and… and then…”

 

“It won’t,” interrupted Grillby.

“But…”

 

“Sans, Gaster wasn’t like you nor your brothers. He did not have the magic to change naturally like you do.”

 

“But… but he did, I saw him…”

 

“He tried to cheat his own magic,” explained Grillby. “He tried to force his magic into something it wasn't. I tried to force himself to become like you but… he failed to do so and paid the price for that mistake.”

 

There were some moments of silent between them as Sans seemed to absorb these information.

 

“Is he really gone?”, Sans whispered out finally, a hint of hope glimmering in his voice.

“Yes, he is.”

“Is it safe now?”

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

 

Grillby felt something inside him come to a halt. Even after failing them… even after making the same promise over and over yet being unable to keep it… Sans still wanted to renew that promise. The young boy showed that much trust in him…

It was incredibly humbling.

His voice was rough and small, barely there, when he finally answered. “I promise.”

 

 

-

 

 

Unbeknownst to them, they were not the only ones unable to find sleep that night.

 

Fellby phased in and out of conciseness, mind unable to rest due to the replays of memories which phased into nightmares. The dull arch in his arm was distracting too but more welcome as the crushing thoughts and guilt he also felt.

 

He was awakened by small hands shaking his shoulder. With a small jump, he blinked open his eyes to see two little skeletons leaning over him with shinning red eyes.

For a moment his flames cooled and his mind traveled back to the cells, back to the days of being screamed at. Darkness and pain and guilt on his soul...

 

Just for a moment.

 

He blinked and looked up, recognizing that there was some light. Saz looked tired yet nervous, fingers sharply digging into Fellby’s shoulder.

 

Parz watched the blue flame with a strange determination. The bandages on him still glowing with Asklepios’ healing magic.

 

Fellby felt his own magic reach out to them out of habit, checking over their HP.

The two were still hurt but much better than before.

 

Fellby sighed out, calming down enough to finally sit up a tiny bit. “What is it, brats?” he yawned out dramatically, glancing towards the other sleeping forms, searching for the source of light that made it possible for him to see in the darkness.

 

Swabby was half buried under the pile of blankets. His flames were illuminating the small space around where his head poked through. It was still enough to light up the main part of the room and the skeletons curled next to him.

 

Fellby was thankful. He did not like to wake in total darkness. Especially in a strange place, even if it took only a few moments to realize he was within Grillby’s bedroom.

He watched them sleep for a second, a tiny bit envious of how peaceful they seemed despite everything that had occurred.

 

Grillby and Sans were missing though he could hear faint noises coming from downstairs through the open door.

It wasn’t the first time the two of them would meet in the kitchen. He had heard them often enough passing over the stairs…

 

“Uncle Fellby?” asked Parz finally, voice low but not as flat as usual.

Whatever prompted him to wake obviously rested heavily on his soul.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” mumbled Fellby, leaning his back against the footboard while the two skeletons settled in front of him. “I’m… I’m awake. What is it, you two? Can’t sleep?”

 

Saz and Parz nodded in union.

 

Fellby sighed a bit. “Alright… what uh… do you need?”

 

“… you um… fought me when the bad man made me… made me change,” mumbled out Parz finally.

 

Fellby almost flinched at the words. It still hurt. A lot. But it had been necessary.

He had hoped that when he knocked Parz unconscious that Gaster would be forced to give up control, let go of the body he stole for his own twisted purposes.

 

He was wrong.

 

Bandages, cracks and blackened rib bones were testament to Fellby’s nearly fatal mistake.

The sight alone tugged painfully at his soul.

 

“…Yeah,” he mumbles back just as softly. There was no point in sugarcoating it now.

 

Parz nodded slowly. No anger, no disappointment. Not even fear… “And… did you um… would you have…” he stopped, fiddling with the sharpened claws carved into his hands.

 

Fellby blinked.

Normally Parz would think carefully about what he wanted to say before speaking. If he couldn’t find words then he wouldn’t talk at all. The later usually getting him into trouble or causing fights with his brothers.

 

“Would you have kept your promise?” he asked finally, eyes glowing like garnets in the darkness. “… about… giving us mercy?”

 

Fellby felt as though his soul was cracking. Fracturing like hot glass.

 

 

“ _What… what if he comes back?”_

“ _He won’t. He won’t find you here,” the blue flame told the two skeletons before him. “And he sure as hell won’t lay a hand on either of you ever again.”_

“ _But… but… he… if he does… he’ll make us… make me…”_

“ _Listen, brat, nothing can happen so long as you’re with Grills.”_

_A small pouting face glanced up to the elemental. “How can you be sure?”_

“ _No one fucks with Grills,” came the confident reply. “And even if the bast- uhh bad guy somehow managed to get by him then…”_

“ _I don’t wanna go back.”_

“ _He’ll make us hurt each other again…”_

“ _He won’t have the chance.”_

“ _How can you be sure?”_

_The fire elemental held his hand, palm side up, before the two boys. Whirling energy gathered at its center, forming quickly into a dark blue sphere which lite up the children’s faces. “Because I’ll give you and your brothers Mercy before then.”_

“ _Mercy?”_

“ _That’s right.”_

“ _What’s ‘Mercy’?”_

“ _It uh,” the fireball vanished as the blue flame hesitated at the question. “It means that uh… I’ll kill you before I let that creep lay a finger on you.”_

“ _Oh.”_

_There was no fear within the mumbled word._

_Just an eerie acceptance._

“ _Do you promise?”_

“ _What?”_

“ _Do you promise... that you'll give us mercy?”_

“… _Yeah.”  
He had no choice._

_No one deserved to be tortured and locked in a dark room for the rest of their life._

_He sure as hell wouldn’t allow that to happen to the kids!_

“ _I promise.”_

“ _Uncle Fellby?”_

“ _Hm?”_

“ _Don’t tell the others about this… okay?”_

“…”

“ _I don’t think they would understand like we do… and I don’t want Papyrus to cry.”_

“… _Okay. I won’t.”_

 

 

They remembered. He had thought they had forgotten, just as he himself had hoped to forget that this conversation had ever taken place.

 

It had been a spur of the moment thing. Said before he could stop himself, before he had a chance to think it through until the words were already out of his mouth.

They were scared and had nightmares all the time. Parz was hostile towards everyone around him as soon as he had strength to do so and Saz was torn between trying to help and seeking affection elsewhere.

 

It was the first time anyone had called him uncle.

It was the very first promise he made to them.

 

And the worst part was that the two boys understood all the implications behind such a promise.

It scared Fellby.

Yet, at the same time, it felt kind of good to have someone else who understood.

Which, in turn, filled him with guilt.

No one, especially a child, should understand! No one should so willingly accept death as their only option. But he had and they did.

 

It was too much. Way too much.

Then and now.

 

He had been ready to do it.

 

He tried to save him and failed. It truly seemed like there was nothing left but to give them Mercy and… and he would have done it.

 

He refused to let Parz become the tool that Gaster has in his twisted plans.

  
He refused to allow Gaster to use him to kill the Dog Guards and his own brothers.

 

He refused to let Gaster turn and twist these little children he came to love so much into nothing more than a vessel of LOVE.

 

It would have destroyed Parz either way. Either to be killed or to be consumed by the LOVE that bastard would have forced upon him.

 

No, he refused to ever let that happen.

 

He would have killed the children he loved more than anything else because no one else would have nor could have brought themselves to do it.

 

Stars, Grillby would have never forgiven him…

 

It would have broken Swabby.

 

They would’ve killed him… or worse.

Fellby didn’t want to think about that. About what would have, could have happened…

 

If Swabby had been too late or… or…

 

Well Waterfall would have been close by anyways, he could have followed after them if he were brave enough.

 

“Uncle Fellby?”

 

“Hm?” Fellby hummed out, blinking against the stinging sensation in his eyes.

 

They deserved so much better. A better life than what they were dealt.

They deserved all of the world’s love and fortune.

But they got a horrible past. Scars and cracks.

Burns from an uncle who claimed to love them yet could do nothing more than harm them…

 

“Yeah,” he mumbled hoarsely, “I… I would have given you Mercy… I promised after all.”

 

For a moment, he thought he saw a flickering in the light filling the room and glanced towards Swabby’s sleeping form. It must have been his eyes playing a trick on him due to the lava-like tears he refused to shed.

 

Parz let out a thick hiccup before launching himself at Fellby, holding onto the flame tightly.

 

Fellby felt himself wrap his arms loosely around the boy, moving to pull Saz into the makeshift hug as well.

 

It shouldn’t be like this.

 

They shouldn’t feel happy about a promise to KILL them!

 

They shouldn’t feel safe around an uncle who would give such promises!

 

They shouldn't even be in an situation like this. None of them should.

 

He shouldn’t even be here.

 

Yet he was too selfish to let go.

 

He loved them and their brothers so much.

 

But… it couldn’t last. It wouldn’t end well.

 

It never ended well…

 

But…

 

Just for tonight. If only one more night…

 

There were tears soaking into his clothes and mumbles he barely made sense of.

 

“I… I love you too,” he mumbled feeling suddenly numb inside and overwhelmed by something sharp and hot and painful at the same time. “Saz… Parz… I… I love you too.” At least he could say it, he owned them that much.

 

He had to leave, there was no other way.

 

He would but, just for today, he had to stay.

 

It was his own selfish desire.

 

Fellby hugged the two skeletons as close as possible, refusing to let go. He did not deserve the might which both of them hugged back.

 

 

They must have fallen asleep at some point.

 

Fellby woke, both Saz and Parz still clung tightly within his arms, to quiet sobbing and a soothing voice. When he blinked open his eyes, he could make out the blurry image of Swabby, now more exposed due to losing most of the blankets, sitting across from him with a quivering Pyru in his arms.

 

The skeleton was half shifted, tail between his legs and skull forming a noticeable muzzle. He was shaking so much that his bone rattled softly, creating a rhythm which dulled the senses.

 

Fellby had to close his eyes once more, the brightness of Swabby’s flames too much for his damaged vision. He stayed still, just listening in on the conversion though it took him a while before he could actually make out the words being spoken.

 

“We’re here… nothing happened… all here and alive.”

 

Bits and pieces.

 

Fellby felt a sharp pain within his chest, something squeezing his insides. He still kept listening, opening his eyes from time to time a tiny bit to see what was happening even if it hurt.

 

It took a while before Swabby managed to calm Pyru, endless minutes of petting and hushed whispers as Pyru stared ahead in a trance-like state.

 

The rattling slowly stilled and Pyru transformed back fully to his humanoid form, quickly falling asleep again.

 

Fellby blinked open his eyes fully, barely catching the strange raw look Swabby aimed in his direction.

 

No sooner than the look registered did a smile form on Swabby’s lips.

 

But it was wrong.

 

Small and crooked.

 

Not real.

 

Not Swabby.

 

The yellow flame was meant to grin and laugh, to giggle and all sorts of stupid but REAL things. But this smile? It wasn’t Swabby at all.

 

It was broken and fake and wrong.

 

It wasn’t the bright yellow flame Fellby came to know.

 

Swabby was also so cheerful and optimistic… fully of hope and life. When there was a problem, the yellow flame tried to solve it even if it were difficult.

 

He was brave. Handing water constantly, doing the laundry and bathing the children, things Fellby couldn’t even bring himself to do.

 

Water that would hurt Fellby could possibly kill Swabby… yet the young flame seemed completely comfortable and often wore less protection than even Grillby.

 

Not to mention that the yellow flame was always friendly to him, always laughing and needling him on… He never showed fear nor distrust towards him, even at the very start.

 

Fellby respected Swabby’s bravery.

 

But now…

 

He looked so different. Subdued.

 

It wasn’t right.

 

“Good morning.”

 

Fellby made a small sound, half wanting to run away from this… this not-Swabby.

 

“Do you want breakfast?”

 

Fellby gave a small shrug, filling a dull pain from having slept in his current position. He wasn’t really hungry…

 

“You okay?” the small monster asked, finally sounding more like himself.

 

“I uh… don’t know,” he muttered back.

 

“Yeah, me too.”

 

They sat in silence after that for a while, both not knowing what to do, until Grillby came in later to get them to come down.

 

The day got progressively weirder.

Silent yet loud, too much going on yet everything at a standstill.

 

Grillby and Swabby were both acting strange.

The children, of course, we still wracked with fear yet Fellby could barely manage to look in their direction, thoughts continuing to swirl in his mind over and over.

 

He could have killed them.

 

He almost did.

 

“Fellby,” Grillby finally spoke the dreaded words, “we need to talk.”

 

It came too fast. He wasn’t ready.

 

Yet, somehow, the children were already asleep in bed and the three flames were sitting around the kitchen table with tea between them in complete silence.

 

Grillby and Swabby both stared down at their tea.

It was obvious that no one wanted to start conversation, perhaps not even knowing where to begin.

 

The pressure within the air was thick and building.

 

“Ugh can’t we just not?” growled out Fellby, the silence finally getting to him. “Let’s just pretend none of this happened and be done with it.”

 

“We can’t do that,” huffed Swabby. “Something happened, something BIG and we need to talk about it.”

 

“I agree with Swabby,” spoke Grillby softly. “We need to talk about this, about everything. Firstly, are you two okay?”

 

“…Maybe.”

 

“What kind of stupid question is that?” Fellby growled, heat causing small cracks to form in the mug within his hand. “The creep came in and blasted me through the room, took the kids and forced Parz to attack the dogs. Shit happened, the bastard is dead, Whoopi do. What else is there to talk about?”

 

“I think we should start with the ‘shit happened’ part, Fellby,” Grillby replied calmly. “You fought Parz.”

 

“I…” Fellby looked away. “I thought he’d be forced to let go if Parz got knocked out… Didn’t work.”

 

“YOU HURT HIM!” hissed Swabby. “YOU HURT OUR BOY!”

 

“I tried to save him,” Fellby snapped back.

 

“Did he know you would do that?”

 

“Sure as hell seemed like it,” retorted the blue flame still irritated. “You weren’t there. It was the best idea at that point.”

 

Swabby’s flames flickered angrily though he remained silent.

 

“If you really want to know, Parz and Saz woke me up in the night and…it doesn't matter but they still came to ME.” His fist slammed down against the table. “You really think they would’ve come to me if they were afraid of me?”

 

“…They trust you.”

 

“They trust me to do things that are hard,” huffed Fellby. “Things you and Grillby are too lily livered to even think about.”

“YOU BEAT HIM UP!”

 

“What else could I have done?” snarled Fellby. “Just sit back and watch as the bastard forced him to kill? I had to do something and Parz gets that! None of you understand, I KNOW them, I KNOW what they went through. I said it before…”

 

“You said something different later,” added Grillby softly.

 

“Well what about you? You have the chance to kill that bastard. Why the fuck didn’t you?”

 

“I…” Grillby’s words caught in his throat and he looked away.

 

“That bastard wanted to kill all of us,” hissed out Fellby. “With Parz! Why the hell did you stop?”

 

“…I hate fighting,” stated Grillby stiffly. “Taking life… gaining LOVE… I might not have woken up from that. You… Fells, you got LOVE too,” mumbled Grillby carefully. “Don’t you feel it? Hear it whispering in your head?”

 

“… Hear it?”

 

“Its heavy,” explained the orange flame. “I can feel it… urging me to… to do… to hurt and kill. It can influence my thoughts and actions and... I hate it. It isn’t me and… I don’t want to lose what little control I have… I don’t want to hurt everything and everyone around me.”

 

“But he-“

 

“I know,” Grillby cut the younger monster off. “I just… couldn’t. I could have lost myself fully, never to return!” He was silent for a moment before continuing. “I do not regret that I didn’t take his life but I do regret that I… couldn’t do anything else at the time.”

 

“But you’re okay now?” asked Swabby, his tone completely different than it had been with Fellby previously.

 

“Yes, I think so,” replied Grillby. “I still feel my LOVE but... I think I have myself under control again.”

 

“Are we finished?”

 

“No, Fellby,” sighed the orange flame. “There is something else…”

The blue flame sat back, eyes wondering towards the window as if to distance himself from the conversation.

“You spoke of Mercy.”

 

Swabby snapped at those words, his flames looking wild and angry. “YOU WHAT?!?”

 

“I didn’t say anything,” growled Fellby, trying to stand. “I’m-“

“Staying right here,” interrupted Grillby, grabbing hold of his hand.

 

Fellby stared down at Grillby's hand. “Let go.”

 

“Fellby, what were you saying about Mercy?” asked Swabby, his voice dangerously low.

 

“As if you’d even understand.”

 

“Make me.”

 

Fellby glanced between the two flames, both who were watching him solely. There was no way he could break free of Grillby’s hold, no way he’d be able to get out of the kitchen like this.

 

He was going to lose everything.

 

But if he fled now, he’d still lose everything.

 

It was so unfair.

 

Fuck life.

 

“Fells,” mumbled out Grillby.

 

Fellby wanted to scream. “I… I was thinking… well nothing else was working,” he muttered out an explanation. “Nothing seemed to phase the guy… even knock out Parz. It… seemed like the only option.”

 

“What do you even mean with that?” asked Swabby quietly. “Please tell me you weren’t thinking…”

 

“I would have given them Mercy.”

 

“YOU WANTED TO KILL THEM!” Swabby's flames raised with his voice, shining brighter and making Fellby's eyes hurt even with his glasses on.

 

“No,” came the almost plead from Fellby.

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘NO’? YOU TALKED ABOUT… about…”

 

“It’d be better to finish them off myself than to let them suffer before they died,” Fellby answered as though trying to reassure himself. “They woulda died anyways and… who knows what the fuck that bastard woulda forced ‘em to do before then. Grills, you seen what he already did. What was stopping him? Certainly not you.” His voice broke, the stinging in his eyes returning. “I won’t let that happen… even if I had to give ‘em Mercy. It's not just... just “killing” them, it's just Mercy...”

 

“So that’s it? That’s your great solution for everything?” raged Swabby. “As soon as life gets too complicated JUST KILL THEM? WOULD YOU HAVE? WOULD YOU REALLY HAVE KILLED THEM?”

 

“It woulda been better…”

 

“SO I SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED TOO?” asked Swabby suddenly, voice cracking as he finished.

 

“Huh? What?”, said Fellby, taken aback by the sudden change of tone and topic.

 

“Swabby!” snapped Grillby, trying to intervene.

 

The yellow flame ignored the taller monster, standing with his eyes fixed on Fellby. “I’VE HAD IT WITH THAT KIND OF TALK,” he screamed, face flushed bright green and voice popping with anger so unlike him. “IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME. SOMETHING GETS HARD OR SOMEONE GETS TOO MUCH TO HANDLE AND IT'S TOO MUCH TO WATCH. THEN COMES ALL THE TALK OF MERCY! BUT GUESS WHAT, IT'S NOT MERCY, IT’S GIVING UP! IT’S THE EASY WAY OUT! IT’S PEOPLE GOING ‘OH BUT LOOK HOW THEY ARE SUFFERING’ AND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE IT BETTER THEY JUST WANNA KILL THEM TO MAKE LIFE EASIER AND BE DONE WITH IT!”

  
“There woulda been no hope,” Fellby stood too, to riled up to back down. “Sometimes someone’s gotta make that decision.”

 

“DECISION?” Swabby glared, flames flurrying with anger. “THEN I GUESS YOU WANNA KILL ME TOO, RIGHT?”

 

“Wh…?” Fellby was taken aback.

 

“FORGET IT,” called out Swabby, storming towards the doorway. “I’M DONE WITH HEARING THE SAME SHIT OVER AND OVER!” He marched out of the room and up the stairs, slamming the door of his room shut behind him.

 

The kitchen suddenly seemed a whole lot darker and felt ten times colder than the worst blizzard Snowdin could muster. Fellby was even shaking a bit, still shocked by the outbreak of the yellow flame.

 

“Fellby…” Grillby felt torn between staying and talking to Fellby after what just occurred and going after Swabby. “I… I used to see the horrors that humans could do and… I saw what Gaster had done yet… I still would have done everything in my power to prevent than… than to give them an out.”

 

“I didn’t…”

 

“I know you love them. And... I guess your motive wasn't... the easy way out.”

 

“I do and... and it wasn't.” He wanted to break down. It felt as though his soul were shattering. “What did he mean by…?”

 

Grillby looked towards the exit, unsure how to explain himself with so many pieces still missing in the puzzle even to himself. “…Swabby has lived for a thousand years and… well, you know how things can be for him. It most likely was worse in the past,” he sighed out finally. “Words can sometimes hurt more than anything, especially if heard from someone you trust.”

 

With those words, Grillby turned around and walked after Swabby.

 

-

 

Swabby was laying face down in his pillow, sobbing.

Grillby looked at him for a moment, thinking back and trying to remember if he had ever seen the yellow flame in such a state.

 

The answer was no.

 

Not even during his depressive phases had Swabby ever looked like this.

 

Swabby usually would go apathetic. Melancholic.

 

Not sobbing.

 

Swabby was an emotional monster but he would not cry easily.

 

It broke Grillby’s heart to see his friend like this.

 

He stepped inside, not willing to let his friend suffer alone. Especially after the younger monster had helped him so many times in the past. Grillby sat down beside him, carefully reaching out and petting through the flames on the crying monster’s head. “Swabby?”

 

The sobs stilled, if only for a moment, and Swabby turned his head, Thick, bright lava-like tears clung to his cheeks.

 

This made something in Grillby’s chest ache and he leaned down, carefully hugging Swabby and pulling him to himself.

 

Swabby hiccuped and wrapped his arms around the taller monster, holding on tightly as he buried his head into the orange flame’s shoulder, continuing to cry.

 

Grillby just held him, making soft noises as he pet the flame.

 

Swabby was usually so levelheaded during arguments, even with a temper… Grillby had never seen him scream as he had a moment ago. He didn't even fully understand what he had meant with half of what he had said in his rage.

 

He wanted to ask about that or how he could make it better but it was not possible at the moment.

He could only hold the younger elemental to himself and hope that things would work themselves out by morning.

 

-

 

Fellby meanwhile was frozen to the spot.

 

A flash of a striped shirt and a soul that cried out for Mercy only he could give.

A flash of LOVE born out of said Mercy.

 

There was no choice…

Was there?

 

Grillby’s explanation about his LOVE shook something within him.

LOVE influenced one to be more violent, to lash out and gain more…

 

What if…

 

Was there another way the entire time?

Had his LOVE influenced him, pushing him to a solitary conclusion?

 

There had been an other solution after all...

 

He would have killed the only good thing in his life if Swabby had come just a second too late…

 

He shivered, rubbing the back of his sleeve over his eyes.

 

Crying wouldn’t make anything better. Besides, he hadn’t cried about anything for a very long time… and he wasn’t about to start any time soon.

 

Grillby and Swabby trusted him.

 

They were stupid.

 

“You should never trust me,” he whispered into the darkness, ignoring how his voice shook from barely suppressed tears.

 

-

 

The next morning Fellby was gone.

 

Grillby hated having to lie to the children. He told them that something important had come up and Fellby was needed in Hotland though he would be back as soon as possible.

 

He  _hoped_ he would come back home.

 

What happened laid heavily on the household.

 

The children had nightmares.

 

Papyrus would cling tightly to Sans who could barely hold to him due to his own shivering.

 

Saz and Parz kept their distance. Parz not even allowing Grillby close, going begrudgingly to Swabby when in pain and needing of healing salve.

 

Grillby did not want to say anything but it hurt.

 

Pyru’s skittishness and paranoia was back. He tried, more to less, to keep all his brothers in sight and tended to adhere himself to Suny. The skeleton often tried to do the same with Saz and Parz, invading their personal space, which lead to Parz reacting violently.

 

Swabby became worse, distracted over the day and tended to stay in his room when not required by the children. Grillby found him more than once in the kitchen in the middle of the night just staring off into space but refusing to talk about what was on his mind.

 

Asklepios paid another visit, this time for Swabby’s sake.

The two had a long talk in the living room upon which Grillby, out of respect, kept his distance.

 

The healer approached the bartender afterwards, giving him a bottle of brightly colored pill and informing him that he had to change Swabby’s medication. He too instructed Grillby on how Swabby should take said pills, asking for Grillby to remind the yellow flame to take them and warning him of what signs he should look out for in case Swabby’s condition were to worsen. He had paused after his instructions, obviously expecting Grillby to ask about the reasons of Swabby's condition but again Grillby choose not to pry. It was Swabby's story to tell after all and Asklepios seemed to approve of his silent decision.

 

Asklepios checked the children over too and Grillby was thankful that all of them, Parz included, allowed him to continue so.

 

Grillby was relieved to know that their physical wounds from the incident were well on the way of healing.

 

Of course, everything else would take time and care.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so sorry... 
> 
> There WILL be another chapter. At first this one and the next one were one chapter buuuut it got VERY long and the options were either letting you all wait some more or split it up.  
> For all the broken hearts out there now: There will be a chapter soon that will make things alright again. *pats all of you* hang in there. 
> 
> Also: FANART :D Some of these are the artworks we already posted in the mini chapters but we wanted to give you the full list here in case some of you don't read the mini chapters. 
> 
> THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO LEFT KUDOS, COMMENTS AND ART FOR US THIS REALLY MOTIVATES US THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
> 
> ART WORKS
> 
> BY Dealdraws  
> http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/163423750548/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-oh-boi-yes-i  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/164154025914/dealdraws-day-13-with-glasses-the-moment-i  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/164374257544/dealdraws-day-18-drunk-finally-i-finish-this  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/164451684486/could-you-draw-the-flames-skeletons-watching-the  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/164647490396/namekian-maoh-deal-right-some-doofles-of-the  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/162126720266/antarestyl-said-that-kidfellby-would-make  
> http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/post/162364173981/here-you-go-i-got-a-cool-idea-with-this-ask-it  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/162518022766/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-after-drawing-the  
> http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/162715713813/antarestyl-namekian-maoh-dealdraws-second  
> http://dealdraws.tumblr.com/post/162708127216/i-wanted-to-draw-fellby-and-uf-paps-failing  
> http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/162801308933/namekian-maoh-dealdraws-i-wanted-to-do-this  
> http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/163184114858/antarestyl-dealdraws-i-can-not-show-you-the  
> http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/163156631668/also-something-like-kidfellby-and-adult-grillby-i
> 
> BY LunarWingsLatias  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWzPHicfZOY
> 
> BY amannartblog  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/163806167776/amannartblog-sorielweek-day-6-au-i-decided-to  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/163104269119/antarestyl-amannartblog-antarestyl-sanss 
> 
> BY Pippa-Frost  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/164132197011/antarestyl-said-that-kidfellby-would-make  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/post/162719999459/awww-can-we-see-blaster-pyru-carrying-the


	28. Shadow of the Past - Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where there are more talks, some new faces that show up, some deals that are made and a very stubborn flame is made to go home. 
> 
> Also hugs. There needed to be some. 
> 
> Warnings: Uhm... all things int he chapters before?

 

 

It wasn’t a good day.

 

Neither was the day before nor the one before…

 

Parz’ head and ribs hurt. Everything felt… itchy and wrong with the layer of bandages covering his bones.

Sleeping was hard right now with everything that transpired still fresh in his mind. He shivered, still able to feel Gaster’s magic creeping over him, seeping between his bones and forcing them to move without his consent.

 

It was wrong.

 

Gaster had made him hurt the dog guards and he would have made him… harm others. This time, the mad scientist would have surely made him kill Saz. Maybe there others too…

The thought alone filled Parz with dread.

 

He wished he could just run away from such thoughts… He couldn’t though. He was still injured and afraid.

Therefore, he just hid away in one of many hiding spots within their room while the others were distracted with some board game. Parz hid there under the pillows, blankets and random stuffed animals for hours.

 

Being surrounded by the soft, fuzzy things made him feel slightly better. Having a weight against him which would could easily push away…

 

His peace was interrupted when Pyru found him some hours later. “So,” the taller skeleton muttered, sitting down beside the pile that served as his hiding place, “hiding again?”

 

“Go away,” huffed Parz. “I like it.”

 

“Buried under a mountain of fluff? Sure, looks like fun,” replied Pyru sarcastically.

 

Parz let out a low growl. “Go away, I wanna be alone.”

 

“Yeah how ‘bout no,” replied Pyru. “Not gonna happen. You’re alone way too much.”

 

His brother hesitated after that and the atmosphere shifted enough for Parz to peek out of his cocoon.

 

Pyru sat on the ground, arms around his legs. He looked… sad?

 

“Uh,” Parz begun, unsure on how to bring up the matter. “…Pyru, did you… hear Uncle Swabby and Uncle Fellby fighting too?”

 

Pyru’s shoulders tensed for a moment before he let out a long sigh. “Yeah, it… it was bad, huh?”

 

“I never heard Uncle Swabby scream like that,” Parz mumbled, voice muffled by the pillow. “And… Uncle Fellby left.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And Uncle Swabby’s been… acting strange.”

 

“He is… very sad I think. Maybe sick? Healer Popo was here.”

 

“Yeah I heard him talking to Grillby about some medicine,” mumbled Parz. “I don’t like it, I just… want things to back to… to how they were before.”

 

Pyru sighed and moved closer to Parz, sitting down directly beside the pile of toys. “Me too.”

 

Parz shifted. “They fought because… because of me.”

 

“Huh? What?” Pyru’s eyes widened. “No. No way! Why would you think that?”

 

“When… when the bad man made me… fight,” muttered Parz quietly, “Uncle Fellby um… wanted to… wanted to give me mercy…”

 

“Mercy?” Pyru questioned, looking towards the hidden skeletons in confusion. “Why would they fight about-“

 

“I mean _mercy_ ,” cut in Parz. “So I wouldn’t hurt anybody. So I wouldn’t… Mercy from… from life.”

 

Something clicked and Pyru’s eyes grew wide. “WHAT?!? HE WOULD… would’ve killed… no, NO! Uncle Fellby would never-“

 

“He would have.”

 

“Why are you so sure?”

 

“…because Saz made him promise us.”

 

“WHAT?!?”

 

“He promised that he’d give us mercy before… before the bad man could make us…”

 

“That’s super messed up, Parz! Why would you want to…?” Pyru shook his head, trying to get his words together. “No, Parz, that’s wrong. Besides, Grillby and Uncle Swabby will always come for us! They will and… and they did! Remember? So you can’t just… you can’t give up like that!”

 

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! YOU NEVER WOULD UNDERSTAND,” bite back Parz. “IT’S NOT GIVING UP, IT’S… You don’t know what he made me do. I had… I gained LOVE and it hurts. It’s horrible and icky and just… thumps and hurts all the time! His magic was on me, I can still feel it in my bones. It’s horrible. He would’ve made me… kill. Again! The dogs and you and… S-Saz,” Parz stumbled over the last word. “He would have turned you all to LOVE or… or me too and I… I can’t, I just can’t! But… Uncle Fellby understood! He promised because he knows what it’s like when no one else does! None of you, not Grillby or Uncle Swabby… I… I NEEDED IT! I needed to know that someone will… because I can’t do it again. I don’t wanna do this again!”

There was silence for a long while, Parz breathing heavily and feeling faint after the speech and yelling. His head began to hurt again, throbbing as though someone had hit him… It was too much, way too much. No one understood, they never would.

 

Parz’ eyes prickled with tears. He just wanted… wanted…

 

He froze, feeling arms wrap around his shoulders and, for once, did not push them away. Parz shifted, leaning into the body in front of him and burying his face into the orange and white stripped hoodie.

 

“I’m sorry, bro,” Pyru mumbled. “I… I didn’t know…”

 

“I know,” Parz muttered back. “I know it’s not right but… I don’t wanna… not again.”

 

“It’s all right.”

 

“I didn’t want him to get into trouble…”

 

“Hey, nothing happened. Uncle Swabby and Grillby are here for us.”

 

“Uncle Fellby’s gone now,” sniffled Parz against the fabric of Pyru’s hoodie.

 

“He’ll be back.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“He’ll always come back, he promised. And… when he was ready to keep that one then he’ll keep this one too.”

 

Parz sniffled, oddly unwilling to move from his position. “Okay,” he whispered.

 

“Are you… all right?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“I… I’m still glad Uncle Fellby didn’t… get to do that,” mumbled Pyru, gently petting over Parz’ back now. “It would be horrible without you.”

 

“You don’t know that.”

 

“Yeah it would!” argued Pyru. “You’re… you’re our brother and we’d all miss you a lot. Uncle Fellby loves you a lot too, I think ever more than us. He would be super sad if you… weren’t here anymore.”

 

“If you say so…”

 

Pyru huffed at that, a bit frustrated with how his brother reacted.

 

“Hey… can I ask you a question?”

 

“I can’t stop you.”

 

“Is… Saz really okay with that?”

 

“Yeah,” mumbled Parz out. “He wanted to make Uncle Fellby promise first… He said um it would make us less afraid if… if there was… a way to get out of going back to the bad man…”

 

“Why Uncle Fellby? Why not Grillby or… or Uncle Swabby?”

 

“Because Uncle Swabby wouldn’t understand and he’s weak.”

 

Pyru huffed. “Uncle Swabby isn’t weak.”

 

“Uncle Fellby said so,” Parz replied. “Uncle Swabby isn’t a fighter.”

 

“Still… Uncle Fellby always does what Uncle Swabby tells him.”

 

“…Yeah,” mumbled Parz, thinking on that for a moment. “It’s weird.”

 

“Then why not Grillby?”

 

Parz hesitated, looking away. “Grillby is… the angel. The one Sans is always talking about and… it would be wrong,” he muttered before falling into silence again, if only briefly. “Besides I… um…”

 

“What is it?” questioned Pyru, continuing to pet at Parz’ back again.

 

“He’s scary.”

 

“Scary? Grillby?”

 

“He’s got LOVE,” replied Parz. “A lot. I can feel it and LOVE is… is bad. Uncle Fellby got it too but not much, I couldn’t even tell at first. But with him it feels… I don’t know, safe I guess? He understands and if things had… gotten worse and…”

 

Pyru was silent through Parz’ statement, tightening his hold. “Parz, just promise me one thing. I… I accept that you want to… umm the promise for  _mercy_ and, well, I don’t understand it but… I guess if you need it then it’s okay but… Just don’t give up so fast. Okay? I know Uncle Fellby would be super sad, we all would be. Trust me.”

 

“You’re okay with it?”

 

“If it means that much to you then yes,” mumbled Pyru. “I don’t wanna lose you though. You’re my brother just like Suny and, believe it or not, I love you. But… I think I can get behind it a bit. Like you said, I don’t know what I would’ve done if it was me…”

 

Parz nodded, a strange sort of relieve washing over him.

Maybe it was the knowledge that their tormentor was gone for good finally clicking in his mind.

Or perhaps it was the fact that somebody accepted his and Saz’ decision. Someone else kind of understanding…

 

Normally he would protest that the hug was becoming suffocating and he was still hurting but, for a bit longer, Parz supposed he could allow Pyru to hug him.

 

-

 

 

The days drug on. It hadn’t become easier but less hard.

Grillby cared for the children as they came to him after nightmares.

He cared for Swabby who’s state of mind improved slowly with the new medication. Grillby very seldom had to actually remind Swabby to take his pills.

 

The children slowly got better too. Fewer nightmares, less haunted looks and laughter slowly finding its way back.

 

Still… it didn’t feel right.

 

Fellby was still missing.

 

The blue flame hadn’t answered any phone calls.

 

Parz, because of such, would turn only to Swabby for any parental help.

 

Swabby, on the other hand, was still very much affected. He had trouble sleeping and would, more often than not, end up sitting together in the living room with Grillby watching old reruns on television.

 

It was nearly two weeks after Fellby had left that Grillby noticed the unusual flickering in Swabby’s flames as they sat together at night like so many before that one.

 

“Do you think he’ll come back?” mumbled Swabby suddenly.

 

“Fellby?” asked Grillby.

Swabby nodded.

Grillby shifted a bit closer to Swabby, turning to face him. “He wouldn’t leave the children like this.”

 

“I know,” Swabby muttered, looking away. “Still…”

 

“Swabby, are you all right?”

 

“…Fine.”

 

Grillby watched the yellow flame for a second before sighing out and pulling Swabby gently to himself, cradling him within a hug.

 

The younger flame tensed at first before relaxing into the hold, arms coming around Grillby to complete the hug.

 

Grillby started petting Swabby’s head gently. “You can ask for a hug if you want one, you know?”

 

“I know.”

 

“You’re really thinking hard on that argument, huh?”

 

“I… I wish he was here. I just want to apologize for flipping out like I did,” sighed Swabby, defeated. “It… it really shouldn’t have been about me and I… I made it that way.”

 

“That might be true. It was rather strange seeing you so…”

 

“Totally freaked out?”

 

Grillby chuckled lightly. “I would’ve said agitated.”

 

“I flipped my lid completely, Grillby,” snorted out Swabby in turn. “I just… He sounded just like… UGH I knew it wasn’t like that but it just made me so angry! Besides… the fact that I was terrified that had I been a second later…”

 

“You weren’t.”

 

“I know.” Swabby shook his head, frowning again. “Do you… think he would have done it?”

 

Grillby took a deep breath, thinking hard on the matter before speaking out. “I don’t know, honestly,” he answered. “Fellby… He loves the children but if he thought it was for the best…”

 

“He told me some of the things that were done to him,” muttered Swabby. “In the war… by the humans…”

 

“… He relates to them?”

 

“I think even more than he himself thinks,” replied Swabby with a nod.

 

“He said he had wanted death,” whispered Grillby, “in the past… Remember?”

 

“Do you think… the children would have wanted it?”

 

“He at least thought they would.”

 

“You think he would have done it?”

 

“It… would have killed him,” answered Grillby. “But if there was one thing that would have forced him to do something such as that, it’d be love for the children.”

 

Swabby nodded shortly at that, giving a deep sigh. “At least the children didn’t seem to have heard.”

 

Grillby hummed at that, petting over Swabby’s head softly. “Swabby? I meant to ask you earlier… what did you mean with ‘it sounded like’? … Sounded like what?”

 

Swabby froze. “…Nothing.”

 

“Swabby…”

 

“It’s… it’s really nothing, Grillby.”

 

“Swabby, I want to understand,” spoke Grillby softly. “Something is bothering you and that something affected you… Of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want but… it might be for the best of you do.”

 

Swabby was silent for a moment, shifting within Grillby’s hold. When he finally spoke his voice sounded strange and hollow, as if he was miles away.. maybe many years too.

“…When I was around five… or maybe six years old, I snuck out of the house. It was a rather chilly morning and the ground was covered in mist. I got… hurt. Pretty badly. My HP went super low, below five, and my flames were really pale boarding on going out. A neighbor found and brought me home… a healer was called in, um that was before Asklepios,” Swabby added quickly. “Anyways, the healer healed me but I needed… a lot of care. Lots of heat and high-level healing items… He used a lot of time and magic on me and, well, somebody asked my parents if… if it was right what they were doing.”

 

Grillby remained silent, listening intently to the tale.

 

“Using all these resources, having a healer tend to me for a complete day… just… keeping me alive,” the yellow flame whispered out, eyes focusing on a point far outside of the window. “They said it was not… fair doing this to others who needed the resources more and… and to me. They said that, in the best-case scenario, I’d have a lonely life and most likely die early due to, well, you know… They said it would be _mercy_ letting me go, that it would be the right thing to do. Just give a child like me mercy and let them die… that I should have already been given it earlier.”

 

Grillby felt something cold coil around his soul. He felt his LOVE rising, still not satisfied from the fight against Gaster, singing to him.

 

He held Swabby closer out of reflex.

 

_How dare they! You could find them, make them pay. Go to Hotland, talk to people… MAKE them talk._

 

Grillby took all those feelings, along with the LOVE, and shoved it deep down, as far as he could.

It wouldn’t be right. Whoever had said those things was most likely long gone. There was no one to hunt, no one to make pay for hurting his dear friend.

He knew that there were more people who spoke the same or silently thought along those lines. He couldn’t just go on a revenge spree and punish everyone for saying something mean…

 

Though it still hurt knowing his friend and cousin had to go through this.

 

All he could do was hold Swabby more, pulling the smaller flame against his body and take comfort in the fact that he could feel Swabby’s magic pulsing under his bright flames; alive and strong.

 

“When Fellby started talking about mercy, all I could hear was that again,” mumbled Swabby, pulling Grillby from his musing.

 

“You know this is… different.”

 

“I know,” replied Swabby. “I knew yet… As soon as I blew up I regretted it. Just… sometimes I keep thinking ‘what if they were right’ and hearing that just…”

 

“They were wrong,” stated Grillby, petting over Swabby as he interrupted him. “They were completely wrong. You are a strong person, Swabby. You were here for me and the children… You’ve lived 1000 years, got your own life in Hotland and the dinner… You’ve accomplished so much.” He moved down, placing their foreheads together in a comforting gesture. “You’re not alone, you got me and the children… and Fellby too so don’t think like that, my dear friend. You’ve already proven that person wrong over and over again. I know not a single soul stronger than yours and am glad to have met you and have you in my life.”

 

Swabby teared up, leaning in more and hugging onto Grillby tighter. Grillby let him, holding on more himself too. There was no way he was letting go now. No way.

 

This is how they remained for a good portion of the night.

 

-

 

By morning, Grillby made his decision.

 

He cooked breakfast for the children and informed them that he had to go out for a bit. He hugged Sans, Papyrus and Suny while giving Pyru and Saz both pets on their skulls.

Parz stayed back, hovering towards Swabby during the entire meal.

 

“I’ll be back soon,” promised Grillby before looking towards his cousin. “Your medicine is on the counter,” he reminded before heading towards the hall and grabbing his coat.

 

The Riverperson did not ask where he tended to go, only humming slightly as they moved through the water. “Tra-la-la,” he sung softly as they came closer to Hotland’s port. “Today your lucky color is purple.”

 

A small smile appeared on Grillby’s lips as he signed, “ _Lucky color?_ ”

 

“Not all oracles are deep nor wise,” spoke the Riverperson. “Sometimes it’s simple advice.”

 

Grillby could not suppress the small chuckle which escaped. “ _If you say so. Lucky color though?_ ”

 

“You never know what luck may bring you,” hummed the Riverperson. “It could provide a start to your journey… or an end to one.”

 

Grillby shook his head but did not add more to the conversation. He knew many monsters took oracles more seriously and knew that most of them held a hint of truth to them but, personally, he did not believe in acting on oracles alone. Chances are that the predictions would either be vague enough to encompass several different outcomes or would happen regardless on down the road.

 

Luckily the Riverperson wasn’t one to take this sort of mindset personally and continued guiding Grillby onward towards Hotland.

 

When Grillby got off of the boat, he felt a tiny bit… lost.

 

He knew his cousin was somewhere in Hotland but had no clue where to begin his search. He did not know where he slept nor where his gang stayed…

Grillby wandered aimlessly around the streets for a good hour until something purple caught his eye.

 

A sign proclaiming a sale at ‘Muffet’s Bakery’ written in fine purple ink upon a lavender background.

Remembering the oracles words and following an impulse, Grillby decided to check out the bakery.

Chances were that Fellby would be found wherever there was a high concentration of sugar gathered.

 

It wasn’t difficult to find Muffet’s Bakery, there were several signs which pointed him towards the building.

 

The décor was rather… interesting. The ceiling covered by intricate spiderwebs, dark heavy curtains shielding the large windows at the entrance-front, made out of spider-silk from what Grillby could tell, and violet fabric draped itself over seemingly every flat surface. Even the walls were painted in a royal purple hue.

Tables with chairs stood in small groups around the room, the ones which were not near the windows had small candles which hung from spiderwebs on the ceiling hovering in their centers to provide adequate light.

Soft music played from hidden speakers reminding Grillby a bit of his own jukebox and the entire room smelled of freshly baked bread and caramel.

 

The back of the room, however, seemed to be the heart of the bakery: the sales counter. It stood twice the length of the counter in Grillby’s bar, made of dark wood and clear glass to showcase various types of breads, cakes and pies.

Behind the counter, counting money between two hands while decorating a cake with three others, stood a tiny monster who Grillby could only assume was ‘Muffet’. She wore her black hair in twin ponytails and dressed in a white apron over a dark purple dress. Her five eyes focused on Grillby as soon as he stepped close, a grin spreading over her face, revealing several sharp fangs.

 

Grillby felt very alone suddenly within the bakery.

 

“Ooooh,” cooed Muffet as she quickly placed the money within the register and set aside the cake before leaning forward, resting two elbows on the counter so that she could set her chin within the now cupped hands. “What a guest we have today.” Another hand made an inviting gesture, two others coming to rest on her hips. “If it isn’t the fabled Grillby here in my humble bakery.”

 

Grillby sighed softly, coming closer before signing, “ _You would be Muffet I presume?_ ”

 

“Ahuhuhuhu,” giggled Muffet softly, waving one of her hands. “You know about little old me?”

 

“ _I heard rumors._ ”

 

“Only the best ones, I hope,” grinned Muffet. “There are lots of rumors about me, you know… Some of them are dreadfully wrong.”

 

“ _You make excellent baked goods,_ ” replied Grillby in sign. “ _And I heard you know a lot around Hotland._ ”

 

“Ahuhuhuhu looks like someone’s been doing their homework,” cooed Muffet. “Then I assume you heard I don’t give out freebies?”

 

“ _I am ready to pay._ ”

 

“Oh, I bet you are,” muttered Muffet. “Well, you are here so what do you think of my little abode?”

 

“ _You have a rather… unique style._ ”

 

“Flatterer,” giggled Muffet, “You bad boy you, trying to influence little old me?” She wriggled one of her index fingers at him. “But I can’t give you a discount for being nice…”

 

“ _I didn’t expect you to._ ”

 

There came a loud roar from the back causing Grillby to focus his attention momentarily on the small door concealed behind the counter. “…”

 

“But let’s get serious, shall we? It’s almost feeding time for my pet,” Muffet cooed. “You’re here for business, right? What is it you want, Grillby?”

“ _I am searching for someone. A blue flame, a bit smaller than myself,_ ” he signed out. “ _Usually wears black clothes and a pair of sunglasses-_ “

 

“And is the most ridiculous idiot in the Underground,” cut in Muffet. “You’re searching for Fellby, right?”

 

“ _You know him?_ ”

 

“You could say that,” answered Muffet. “Why are you searching for him? He seemed… troubled last I saw. And the other day some dreadful guards were here asking for him too. What ridiculous mess did he get himself into this time?”

 

“ _You seem to know him well_ ,” signed Grillby with a smile. “ _I just wish to bring him home. He has a promise to keep._ ”

 

“A promise, huh? Well, if it’s like that,” muttered Muffet, shifting a bit as her face showed more concern. “I am quite worried about my blueberry cookie too. He isn’t here, obviously, but he stopped by a few times… Of course, I don’t know exactly where he is but I could give you a few good guesses.”

 

“ _That is more than I have in the moment. Thank-you._ ”

 

“No thanks needed,” replied Muffet with a wave. “He gets into a lot of trouble… I don’t want him doing anything stupid.”

 

“ _I’ll make it so,_ ” signed Grillby, fishing for his coin purse. “ _How much do I owe?_ ”

 

“Oh nononono,” waved off Muffet. “I wouldn’t make you pay for guesses. Besides, this is about my sugar cookie ahuhuhu~” she giggled.

 

There was a beat of silence and Grillby wondered if the rumors were false after all. Muffet seemed to be nice given the circumstances.

 

“But you know,” she added after a pause, “it would be nice if you could purchase some of my wares… You know, to help a good cause.”

 

One the other hand, some rumors seemed right on mark.

Grillby paid a small fortune for a basket of cupcakes and half a dozen cookies before he left the bakery. He didn’t even like sweets! But it was worth it to find Fellby and it was for a good cause… right?

 

-

 

Fellby sat with in the inner circle of his gang, trying to distract himself from his inner thoughts.

However, it was rather unsuccessful. His mind kept wondering back to the children and his argument with Swabby… He still felt guilty even when he wasn’t entirely sure what had caused the yellow flame to fly off like he had.

 

It wasn’t like he could stay there. No, he needed time to think and… well, he was never the best at rationalizing his thoughts. Plus, he really didn’t want to. Not at the moment, anyway. He needed time to prepare himself to think about it.

 

Hence the gang meeting.

 

It wasn’t entirely useless. There was a copycat on the loose, someone doing crime around New Home but getting the blame placed on his gang… Fellby, personally, was blamed for all types of minor crimes which he had no hand in.

 

“I don’t understand how the guards can be that fucking stupid,” growled Fellby. “If there was a blue flame running about, people would notice! The others are all snotty and crap, I’d steal from them faster than anyone else,” he continued, grumbling. “You guys find anything?”

 

“Nobody in my squad did,” huffed Foxy, a Vulkin who had various cracks on their crown. “All my informants are running around but nobody heard anything besides that the guards are searching for you, boss.”

 

“My people ain’t heard shit,” cursed Angel, a muscular lizard monster covered in scars. “But the guards are starting to smoke out some of our more known hideouts… We lost five of ‘em last week.”

 

“Oh sure, they can’t find a fucking creepo scientist but NOW they can put two and two together?!?” growled out Fellby. “Typical. Those idiots couldn’t deduce themselves out of a wet paper bag.”

 

“They can now and it’s getting annoying,” grunted Angel, crossing her arms. “I wanna slam ‘em into next week but that’d probably make things worse, eh?”

 

“Yeah probably,” maundered Fellby, mind full of static. “If they’re only after me then the others should stay out of the picture. I don’t wanna have to deal with a drawn-out operation against us…”

 

“Waterfall is okay,” chirped Bob contently. “No guards swooping there.”

 

“Snooping, Bob,” corrected Fellby. “Remember your talking lessons.”

 

“Sorry,” mumbled Bob, ears dropping slightly.

 

A pang of guilt hit Fellby upon seeing the look. “Eh it’s fine,” he stumbled out.  
The gang spent a long time making sure that Bob could speak properly after they found him, not talking in gibberish like the other Temmie did. Of course, he still had slip-ups… especially after visiting his people.

“You uh went to see the village again?”

 

“Yeah, it was nice,” chirped Bob, perking up once more. “I got to hang out with Temmie, Temmie and even Temmie! We planted a mushroom seed that Temmie found and Temmie poured some glowing water on it that he got from a umm… science lady lizard who visits the guard fish.”

 

Fellby raised a brow. “Guard fish?”

 

“Eh,” spoke Angel, “that newbie recruit from last year… Heard she’s been moving up the ladder pretty fast.”

 

“She trouble?”

 

“Don’t know,” mumbled Angel, shaking her head. “Heard something about her being made captain but could just be rumor.”

“A newbie captain?”, asked Fellby interested. Waterfall WAS pretty chill and calm but a new member of the royal guard there could shift the balance...

 

Foxy bubbled up. “Skilled fighter and tough attitude, Karma heard a guard complaining about her in the eastern district.”

 

Fellby gave a short hum. If the guards complained about her, maybe that meant she was actually a monster who could get things done... he would have to think about that some more later.

 

Bob waited a moment to see if the others would add anything else before speaking up again. “Temmie said to say ‘hoi’ to you.”

 

“Yeah uh same back,” dismissed Fellby.

 

The Temmie were strange monsters but oddly useful; they would buy nearly everything not caring that most of the stuff he sent with Bob was stolen. Where the Temmie got all the gold in the first place was a mystery in itself… Fellby could care less. Hell, they could shit gold for all he knew. Even thou monster didn't do that kind of stuff... Though that wasn’t a train of thought that he really wanted to venture.

 

His gang was one of the most successful crime huts in the Underground and the connections they had to Temmie Village held a large part in that.

 

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” asked a Pyrope shyly. “I hate that someone’s blaming the boss for stuff none of us did…”

 

“Rope, we went over this. I want you all to stay out of this,” sighed out Fellby. “If the guards have a beef with me then its best we don’t give ‘em more to sniff around for.” He glanced over the small group of gathered monsters before him, none of them looking too happy about the current situation. “Let’s just sort through the goods and then I’ll go lay low for a while. You guys just do the usual and… eh we’ll do a bigger heist whenever the copycat is found or things blow over.”

 

“I don’t like this, boss,” argued Angel, tapping her claw against the chainmail armor she wore. “This whole thing screams cover up.”

 

Fellby chuckled. “Maybe it irks ‘em that they were fucking useless and the Dog Guards, a criminal and Grills had to step in.”

 

“So… they wanna distract everyone from their uselessness by capturing you?” asked Foxy curiously. “As if that would work.”

 

“They’d have to catch me first,” agreed Fellby smugly. “No way they gonna do that.”

 

It wasn’t entirely that he couldn’t be caught, rather no one knew where his base was. Not even the top tier of his gang. Besides even if they did, it was impossible for most monsters to reach.

However, his problem was trying to stay alive while camping out there for too long. Without Muffet he wouldn’t be able to acquire food…

 

Well there was one place that was known for giving out whatever they could not sell for free at the end of the day… But Fellby was well known within Hotland and would easily be spotted if he tried to go near the joint.

 

Fellby’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Everyone turned their heads, thinking the same thing.

 

No one KNOCKS on the door of an abandoned building!

 

Therefore, someone must know they were here which was impossible because they had taken every precaution to conceal the structure and hadn’t been the least bit rowdy.

 

Fellby was almost convinced that it was just his tired mind paying tricks on him when the knocking sounded once again, more insistent. “What the…?”

 

Bob stood, hissing at the door with fur standing on edge.

 

Another knock.

 

Angel stood, grabbing a metal pipe and let out a low growl.

 

A strange hissing sound filled the air and the door begun to glow.

 

Red.

 

Yellow.

 

Then white.

 

Smoke and the smell of iron.

 

A figure stepped through the smog.

 

Everyone stared at the intruder, seemingly fixed to the flood where they stood.

 

Grillby re-adjusted his glasses, looking around the room as the smoke cleared.

 

The rest of the gang must have been in the same stupor as Fellby because no one moved a muscle when Grillby finally locked eyes with Fellby and begun to walk towards the blue flame.

 

Fellby’s mind was reeling.

 

Why was Grillby here of all places?!?

 

Grillby stopped once he stood before the other elemental, looking down at him.

 

There was a beat of silence, just the dipping of melted metal coming into contact with the ground.

 

“…There was a knob.”

 

Grillby’s flames flickered for a moment and his lips twitched. Without a word, he leaded down and picked up the smaller flame, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

 

That finally pulled the gang out of their stupor.

 

“H-HEY!” cried Angel, orange magic crackling around her form. “WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING WITH OUR BOSS?”

 

Normally Fellby would compliment the lizard on her intense loyalty but, damn it, he TOLD her a hundred times not to go against clearly stronger opponents!

 

Grillby turned, his LOVE fizzing barely contained under his flames.

 

There were several gasps thought Fellby was unsure from who.

 

“Language,” Grillby hissed, voice sounding more like sap being burned within a branch than actual words. “We go home.” With these words, Grillby began walking towards the ruined door.

 

Fellby was finally able to see his gang, all frozen on the spot. He sighed out; they did not know that Grillby was a total softy. “Its fine, I’m okay,” he called out to them. “Might be undercover for a bit… Don’t do anything stupid!” His voice had to rise as Grillby carried him further away from the group. “DON’T TOUCH MY SHIT!”

 

Only dumbfounded faced stared back save for Rope whose response was to faint.

 

His gang.

 

Best of the best.

 

Fellby let out a deep sign as they disappeared from his view.

-

 

Grillby carried Fellby through Hotland for a long while in complete silence, still slung over his shoulder with no intention of letting him go.

Though Grillby suddenly turned right, heading closer to the main part of the city.

 

“Uh… Grills? Ya have to go left there… not right.”

 

Grillby shook his head.

 

“Grills, seriously, you’re walking the wrong way.”

 

“No.”

 

“The river-weirdo is the other way.”  


“I know.”

 

“Uh okay?” muttered the blue flame, utterly confused now. “Where the fuck we going?”

 

Grillby hummed softly, glancing over his shoulder at Fellby. “Detour.”

 

Their detour took them all the way through Hotland, into New Home and directly to the palace.

A handful of guards looked as if they wanted to say something but held their tongues as soon as they noticed Grillby’s expression.

 

Fellby supposed that no one really wanted to mess with Grillby. It would have been funny had it not been for the fact that he was still in the potato-sack position.

 

Grillby marched through the castle, no one daring to stop him. He took the stairs in long strides, careful to keep Fellby steady on his shoulder, until they reached the throne room.

 

King Asgore looked surprised when Grillby entered through the large door. He placed his watering can aside, standing up as Grillby walked towards him. “It’s a surprise to see you here, Grillby,” Asgore said gently. “What brings you to me?”

 

Grillby placed Fellby on his feet, holding him upright by one hand on the blue flame’s bicep. “I want the adoption and guardianship paperwork.”

 

It wasn’t an entirely new idea for Grillby. The children clearly loved Fellby with all their souls and it was beyond obvious that his cousin returned their love, despite some of Fellby’s words.

 

And after having some time to think about everything, Grillby could see where Fellby was coming from. Humans were cruel, they lacked love and compassion that was mandatory within monster souls. Not that Grillby doubted there were kind and compassion humans out there but… there were just as many who were anything but. How many villages had he seen burned to the ground? Torn clothes and dust lying everywhere…

 

Fellby had been… in the middle of that. His cousin had to endure the cruelness of humans first hand and Grillby could not even begin to imagine what had been done to his once gregarious, joyful and loving friend for him to become so aloof.

 

His cousin could relate to the children in this way…

 

Grillby had forgiven him. He did not agree in any circumstance but he knew Fellby’s actions came from love so he wanted, more than anything, to show him that he had a place within this family. And make things official.

 

Asgore, at multiple points, seemed as if he wanted to say something but kept silent in the end.

Grillby was glad that Asgore was not the bravest of all souls.

 

Though… there still was the matter of Fellby’s impressive criminal record.

 

Fellby looked honestly disturbed when Asgore gently hinted at it. Even more so when a guard started to list off everything he was accused of; some true, most not.

 

“Stop,” spoke Grillby, giving a chilling glare to the guard. “It does not matter.”

 

“My friend, you see,” spoke Asgore gently, “even I cannot bend the law like this…”

 

Grillby swept his glare to the king. “I vouch for him,” he stated. “I’ll pay for any damage he caused.” Grillby’s gaze wandered back to the guard. “I intend to fight for him concerning any accusations that are false in nature.”

 

“You can’t just-“

 

Grillby cut the king off. “No, I can,” he hissed, flames flickering.

Fellby was dumbfounded by how pissed the bartender looked.

 

“Grillby…”

 

“I know him better than anybody,” argued Grillby. “Some of this… I can see. Many other things I do not. We can speak of this later. Fellby, however, is a good guardian for the children and they have grown to love him. Furthermore, I trust them in his care. I want you to write it down.”

The whole room stood staring at Grillby now.

Fellby supposed it was the most anyone had heard him speak outside of the family. Then again, it was rare for him to talk so long on normal days…

 

“But, sir, he’s-“, tried the guard again.

 

And suddenly the air felt heavy with LOVE.

 

Grillby turned to the guard. “Yes?” he whispered.

 

The guard let out a tiny sound, petrified to his position.

 

Grillby took a deep breath, getting himself under control and the pressure in the air eased up. “I… apologize for that,” the bartender mumbled before turning back to King Asgore. “…I’ll keep an eye on him. But… I think he has good reasons for everything he has done.”

 

Fellby felt his soul pulsing within his chest as Grillby looked over him.

 

“I think he should be forgiven. I already did.”

 

Static filled Fellby’s mind. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Something in his chest hurt but… in a good way. He felt numb, even as a pen was pressed into his hand, even as he signed the document placed before him…

 

Fellby stayed silent, even as Grillby picked him up and began to carry him back towards the Riverperson.

 

-

There are things you don’t expect to happen in your life… finding some cash lost on the street or becoming friends with a living legend, etcetera.

One thing for certain, Swabby did not expect Grillby to come home with Fellby in his arms.

 

Fellby was dropped on the couch beside the yellow flame, still in shock.

Grillby stared down at the two flames. “Talk things out,” he said sternly before turning and leaving them alone in the room.

 

The air grew awkward quick.

 

Fellby was the first to look away, the argument still fresh in his mind. Of course he did not want the children dead but there were worse fates than death… Then Swabby… well yeah he was annoying as fuck but he held surprises up his sleeve too. It’s not like he’d wish harm on him or… Hadn’t he already done so?

 

“ _Come on, Fellby, are you in?”_

“ _Tsk I say… twenty gold just so you’ll shut up.”_

 

Fellby really wished he could forget that memory. Or, at the very least, he could go back in time to punch his younger self right in the face.

Guilt was one thing that always got Fellby. Damn, he really wasn’t a good friend or family… He was nothing more than a rude ass criminal so why the fuck would anyone ever trust him? It just did not make sense to him.

 

“I’m sorry.”

Fellby blinks, looking over to Swabby. “H-huh?” he croaked out.

 

“I’m sorry,” repeated the yellow flame. “About… going off like that.”

 

“Why the fuck are you apologizing?” Fellby questioned bluntly.

 

Swabby glanced away. “Because we weren’t talking about my issues and… I sort of made it about myself… You had a reason for what you um planned to do and I didn’t listen. I just heard what I wanted to hear and… well, flipped out on you.”

 

“So… you agree with-“

 

“No,” cut in Swabby quickly, expression serious. “I’m… I never want anyone to do something like that but… but it was unfair for me to scream at you especially since…” He glanced away once more before continuing, “you trusted me with stuff about… what happened. I should have respected your side even if… even if I don’t agree.”

 

Fellby sat in silence, trying to process everything. Why the hell was  _Swabby_ apologizing?!? Shouldn’t he be the one saying sorry? “I uh… I…” he stuttered out, trying to force himself to say something,  _anything_ ! Fellby wanted to say so much but just could not find the words. He felt so stupid! “I just… I mean or I uh didn’t mean…”

 

It was awkward.

It was uncomfortable.

Everything about the situation was out of place.

 

Swabby, like so many other times, made the decision for Fellby. The small flame leaned forward and hugged onto the blue flame.

 

Fellby was petrified for a moment. Yellow flames danced around his vision, stinging even with his shades in place. Swabby felt so much smaller and lighter than himself, his flames much colder… but he was alive and there, he could feel Swabby’s magic through his flames in the moment. It was strange, foreign…

 

Slowly, very slowly, Fellby’s arms circled around the younger elemental, returning the hug. “Sorry,” he mumbled out, barely a whisper. He wasn’t even sure if Swabby even heard him or, if he could, if he would even understand what was said. But he did held on a bit stronger so maybe he had heard...

 

They stayed in this position for a long moment, Fellby not wanting to let go. Though Swabby seemed happy enough to stay put.

They only released one another when they were interrupted by a loud cry of “UNCLE FELLBY!” and six skeletal bodies collided with theirs.

 

The children talked over one another, some begging Fellby to stay whilst others spoke of what happened throughout the previous days. None of them seemed willing to release the blue flame, cuddling close to him on a couch that was much too small to fit them all.

 

Through the haze and static which nearly overwhelmed Fellby, he could see Grillby smiling softly down at the scene with uncensored affection. It was familiar yet strange in the same.

 

Of course, he still had to leave. Everything that had happened and everything that  _was_ happening just came too much, too fast. Fellby needed to clear his head.

Fellby took the time to say goodbye properly, hugging all of the children to himself and promising to be back soon making up an excuse that there was something he had to tend to in Hotland.

 

And he ran…

 

He knew there would be a ‘welcome home’ once he came back. The thought alone filling the void he felt upon leaving the first time.

 

Upon entering Hotland, Fellby took a detour to avoid the guards stationed towards the city’s entrance, wondering about the Lava Fields.

There were flowers blooming, deep black roses with a glowing ember center. Fire roses which only bloomed within Hotland, needing the lava and extreme temperatures.

 

It had been a while since Fellby actually seen one of them though. They were pretty, he supposed.

 

Something Swabby might like…

 

Perhaps he’d talk Grillby into bringing the boys to Hotland some time. Fellby was sure the children would love to run around in this field and Swabby could work on his paintings. Artist loved these kinds of scenes, right? And after all that, they could go for a swim in the lava pools…

 

Like family.

 

Just like… like he use too when he was kid…

 

It was a nice thought all in all, filling Fellby with a careful, slight form of optimism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes the Shadow of the Past arc. The school chapters pick up a few weeks after this whole mess. XD Hope you feel all better now. 
> 
> Also: FANART! :D
> 
> by Deals:
> 
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/166144706306/deal-right-antarestyl-dealdraws-i-didnt
> 
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/166115221621/if-frisk-took-up-papyruss-offer-to-sleep-on-the
> 
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/post/165438077881/can-you-do-something-about-the-blasters-either
> 
> Check also out our tumblrs and the TrioBlasterSets-AU Tagg, we answered lots of questions again. :D
> 
> Also, we heard that Trust got their own TV Tropes page and we say congratulations for that! :D (also if somebody wants to add this story to the page, we would be very happy about that. ^^)
> 
> Also, keep a look out, we will post a Halloween chapter around Halloween in the TBS Minis fic. ;) Check it out when it is there. 
> 
> Otherwise thanks for reading, leaving kudos or leaving comments. ^^ See ya next time!


	29. Cookies and an open fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a Christmas chapter! Or better yet the first Gyftmas our little family celebrates after Gaster happened. There are new and old traditions, lots of cookies and well, an open fire. Enjoy the fluff.

 

 

 

It seemed as though one blinked and the year was over. Gyftmas snuck up on Grillby faster than he anticipated.

Time really flew by when you were busy raising children, going to PTA meetings, working and trying to keep the family from doing anything stupid.

  
School was a whirlwind of activity and busywork, not just for the children. Papers which needed to be signed, talks and meeting to attend… Saz and Parz both tended to get into trouble whereas Sans and Pyru were often the main source behind a number of pranks.

 

At least Papyrus and Suny were well behaved. However, both boys had trouble focusing for long periods of time.

 

Homework was, perhaps, the easiest part of their day and adjustable to the needs of the children. Saz for example didn't have to turn in any homework should he be not able to do so. That was because Saz was often too tired after school and would fall asleep on the couch, usually together with Sans. And, if those two were laying there, Pyru more often than not took the opportunity to snuggle them and stay with them for a small nap. Usually Saz would just continue to lay on the couch until dinner, one eye open but otherwise unresponsive, while Sans and Pyru would be ready for homework after the short rest.

Papyrus and Suny on the other hand needed more activity. The task fell upon Swabby to take them outside to play while the others rested, frequently shadowed by Fellby who claimed to be bored sitting inside all day while everyone was away.

Grillby was left with Parz who seemed now content to help out in the kitchen though would most likely choose to cuddle up to Fellby whenever the blue flame decided to stay inside or, on the off chance, follow Swabby around the house like a lost puppy.

 

After all this was said and done, they usually completed their homework together with the flames nearby to assist, though Fellby would only ever appear when there were math problems being discussed.

 

The blue flame did, however, care for Saz’ and Parz’ hands; rubbing the healing salve onto their tiny bones to dull the ache from a long school day.

Healer Asklepios had mentioned some options to transform the finger bones back to something a bit more natural for skeletons but, alas, they were still too young for such a drastic procedure. The operation itself was also something Fellby readily disagreed to, his mistrust of Asklepios still strong.

 

Grillby could not understand why his cousin was so against Asklepios and Fellby did nothing to make his reasoning known, often leading to arguments between the flames. Fellby would leave after such disagreements, disappearing for a couple of days only to return calm but unwilling to talk about it.

 

In the meantime, Swabby sat with Suny and Papyrus, explaining words to them they did not know and giving them pointers on how to paint or create something.

Grillby, likewise, hovered around Sans and Pyru, letting Sans use him as a sound board to explain his science lessons while answering questions as best as he could.

 

After which they would all sit down for dinner followed by either more play time or watching Mettaton on television as a family while Fellby complained for the entirety of the show. This was followed by bath time and a bedtime story. Swabby was the one who usually read the tales as Grillby made figures out of his flames to play out the important scenes.

 

Fellby would, at times, be present too either sitting on the edge of the bed, interrupting the stories with questions, commentary and ideas only he could think up to detour the plot or leaning against the doorframe, watching over everyone within the room, not making a peep until the uttered “night, brats” before heading to the living room.

 

After quick kisses and hugs and some tight tucking ins, the kids would cuddle into warm blankets and stuffed animals as Grillby checked that their nightlight was on before leaving the room himself.

 

The day would end with the three flames sitting together in the living room completing various activities; mending clothes, knitting, fixing various household items showing wear and tear or just watching television and talking about the day… before retiring to bed themselves.

 

Fellby, of course, opted to stay on the couch. Grillby had offered a solution, to give the flame a room of his own. He often thought of expanding the house at some point anyways… yet Fellby would always huff at the offer, stating that the couch was fine so Grillby left it be.

 

Life was peaceful.

 

Not entirely perfect but one could not help that.

 

The cave-in scare a few months earlier was still fresh on their minds.  
Grillby shuttered at the mental image of finding Fellby laying in the snow, heat low, looking more orange than his usual rich blue, holding onto an unconscious Parz while Saz called out for him and Swabby… Grillby had spent countless hours at Fellby’s side afterwards, feeding him heat while hoping it would be enough and his cousin would wake.

 

Asklepios had some choice words about allowing the boys to venture out on their own like they had. Even more so at Fellby’s reckless behavior. But, in the end, it was Asklepios’ healing magic which saved the day, as it had many times before.

 

Back on the topic of Gyftmas…

 

After last year, with Gaster capturing the boys and everything that had happened afterwards, Grillby wasn’t even sure if the boys would want to celebrate! How would he even approach the idea to them? Had Gaster’s appearance been too much? Would Gyftmas forever be a cold reminder to them of what had happened?

 

Pain and heartbreak instead of hope and joy as it were meant to be...?

If so, what was he supposed to even do about it? He couldn’t just force them to be cheerful… not that he would ever force them to do anything they did not want. But he also couldn't shield them from Gyftmas, especially now that the boys attended school with the other children. Grillby was sure that Gyftmas would be the main topic discussed during the school day, the whole of Snowdin already getting into the spirit.

 

Gyftmas was only a few weeks away after all… and the decorations were already strung high around Snowdin, leaving his house to stick out like a sore thumb.

Not to mention that Grillby was busy making the holiday specials at his bar; fries shaped like stars, veggie soups, hot coco and cinnamon whiskey.

 

There was no way around it but, still, Grillby was at loss what to do.

 

 

The decision was made for him later that evening as the flames sat together, Swabby knitting holiday sweaters as Fellby busily repaired the children’s winter jackets.

 

“What are we going to do about Gyftmas this year?” questioned Swabby, glancing up from his knitting.  
“Hm?” hummed out Fellby, pausing. “What about it?”

 

“We’re a little late on preparations. We haven’t even gotten a tree or decorated the house yet,” answered Swabby, setting his needles within his lap. “Then there’s presents… Surely we can allow the kids to go to the town gathering… I mean, they heard about it from the kids at school and seemed pretty excited.”

 

Relief flooded Grillby at these words. “You think we should start soon then?”

 

“Well... yes?” said Swabby, a bit confused by Grillby's reaction. “Why? Is there a problem?”

 

Grillby shook his head. “I was just... worried after last year... If it would be a good idea.”

 

“You worry too much,” huffed Fellby beside them. “They loved all the... strange stuff last year. Just because the fucking creep had to show his ugly mug... They’re strong kids, they won’t let something like that ruin it for ‘em.”

 

“I suppose you have a point.”

 

Fellby leaned back against the couch, setting the jacket he was currently working on within his lap. “Exactly.”

 

“We can always add other traditions to Gyftmas this year,” mentioned Swabby softly. “Last year we couldn't really do much and if we were to change some things around… well, surely it’d be better for the children.”

 

Grillby nodded slowly, a smile stretching across his features as he thought about it. “We should start decorating tomorrow then.”

 

“Ugh what a pain,” grumbled Fellby at the thought. “I’m not going outside and hanging lights so you know.”  
  
Swabby gave a small giggle at the complaint. “Then you can help me and the boys with the tree and window art.”

 

“Fine but I refuse to wear one of those ugly sweaters,” huffed the blue flame, giving a nod to the knitting within Swabby’s lab.

Swabby gave a cat-like grin, leaning in close to Fellby. “Oh yes you will.”

 

“Can’t make me.”

 

“Not even for cookies?”

 

Fellby paused, glancing to Swabby who was suddenly way too close for comfort. “…I get a tin,” he replied, pushing the smaller elemental away. “One of the big ones. With everything on the cookies, including extra icing.”

 

“Deal,” beamed the yellow flame, taking Fellby’s hand and giving it a firm shake while giggling to himself. “You’ll love this year’s sweater!”

 

“I doubt it,” grumbled Fellby. “They look hideous.”

 

 

Fellby ate his words the very next day when Swabby presented him with the sweater.

Traditional green with bright red sleeves and a golden snowflake pattern. By first look it was, indeed, just an ugly sweater. However, in the center of the chest, stood a semi decorated Gyftmas tree which stings of light actually glow in the dark and would light up with a spark of magic against them.

It was warm and uncannily soft, obviously knitted with care.

 

And Fellby loved it.

 

The sweater fit just right, not too big nor too tight and snug at his wrist so they wouldn’t get cold if he were to venture too close to one of the windows.

 

Fellby could not deny that he actually liked the glow in the dark add-ons, though he knew Swabby was probably being cheeky with that. The soft glow did help to ease his sleep, providing a soft light a bit brighter than his own flames. It was… soothing.

 

Of course, Fellby tried to hide the fact that he was pleased by the sweater, stating that he was only wearing it so he could get his tin of cookies. Though he did admit that “It’s okay, I guess.”

 

It wasn't fooling anybody.

 

 

 

The following morning, the children were lured into the kitchen by the smell of sugar and baked goods.

 

Swabby sat at the head of the table, surrounded by bowls of dough and small metal cookie cutters.  
The oven was still hot, cookies already cooling on one of the counters.

 

Swabby grinned wide, eyes shining and flames flickering with excitement as he saw the children entering the kitchen. “We’re making Gyftmas cookies today!”

 

The children cheered as Swabby passed out aprons and quickly gathered at the sink to wash their hands before working with the dough.

 

“Snow-hopp told me his mom makes Gyftmas cinnabunnies,” chipped in Suny. “They even add little hats on them.”

 

“THAT SOUNDS VERY CUTE,” exclaimed Papyrus, beaming with joy. “UNCLE SWABBY, CAN WE ADD TINY HATS TO OUR COOKIES TOO?”

 

“Well, my dear children,” chuckled Swabby, holding up the multi-shaped cookie cutters, “that’s the best part of homemade cookies. We can give them any form we like. I also have lots of decoration stuff and eatable glitter from Hotland.” His flames brightened up, indicating his glee. “We’re going to make the most beautiful cookies in the underground!”

 

Swabby had pre-made the cookie batter himself earlier, using just a tiny bit of sugar, substituting honey when possible as a sweetener. He really did not want Suny to go into a sugar rush, not to mention that Parz was not fond of sweets himself, though the skeleton did seem to like the taste of honey in small doses.

 

Swabby gave them each child a small pile of cookie cutters; common forms such as bells, trees and stars. The flame also showed them how to create moon shapes with a cup.

Sans and Pyru were allowed to cut out some of their own shapes with a blunt butter knife out of the dough the others didn’t eat as they rolled it out.

 

They were having fun with that, first making normal shapes before getting creative.  
Pyru made a lot of tiny cookie-hats which he planned on adding later to the more normal looking cookies.  
Sans, at the encouragement and prompting of Papyrus and Suny, tried to make cookies shaped like skeletons and flames. The results were rather strange looking but Swabby found himself chuckling about it anyway, especially after Sans insisted it would be better after some frosting.

Saz and Parz only used the cookie cutters, both of them careful to not let get any batter between their bones. Parz especially seemed to like making moons and the classic circular shape whereas Saz made lots of bells and stars.  
Papyrus made a ton of hearts, sometimes trying to pitch them a bit to make them smaller.

Suny made mainly trees and cookies that looked a bit like mice.

 

Soon all their batter was used up or eaten and it was time to bake their cookies.

The baking itself luckily did not take long, Swabby using some of his own magic to hurry the process.

 

Fellby snuck into the kitchen a few times that day causing the kids giggle as he stole some cookies right from under Swabby's nose before disappearing once again with a grin before he could get roped into helping. Any time someone would barely mention the idea, Fellby would come up with the excuse that Grillby needed his help with something elsewhere.

 

While the children waited for the cookies to cool so they could begin decorating, they helped cleaning up together, though Suny had to lecture both Sans and Pyru that cleaning was super important, hinting at them to clean up their shared room for once too.

 

Sans and Pyru seemed to be more amused by the lecture, giggling to themselves. The chances that anybody else other than Papyrus, Parz and Suny would clean their room were still close to zero.

 

Parz was fascinated by the decoration options; multi-colored frosting, pearls and snowflakes made of sugar, sprinkles, eatable glitter and other items he couldn’t find names for. Instead of listening to his siblings, he inspected each and every item Swabby had prepared for them, feeling over the tiny pearls and shapes while trying to imagine how different colors would go together.

 

Saz, standing beside Parz quietly, looked tired as he watched Swabby mix food dye into a bowl of frosting, turning it deep red.

Swabby noticed the look after a while, turning to Saz and making a small curious sound. “Hm? Would you like to try some, Saz?”

 

Saz blinked, blushing almost as red as the frosting within Swabby’s hands. “No,” he mumbled out. “I just… like watching. It’s cool.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Saz nodded. “It's pretty and calming,” he mumbled softly in explanation. “Like... the way it mixes together...”

 

While Swabby did not fully understand what the young skeleton meant, he did hold the bowl a bit at an angle so that Saz could better see the stirring mass within.

 

Suddenly Suny jumped between the two skeletons, grinning widely as he hugged onto Saz tightly. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SAZ?”

 

Saz made a small squeaking sound, flailing a bit before finally mumbling, “Just… um… watching…”

 

Suny glanced towards the bowl. “ITS SUPER PRETTY!” he cooed. “CAN WE ADD GLITTER TO?”

 

“Well we could,” chuckled the yellow flame in return. “Saz, what do you say?”

 

“Huh? Um… yeah,” Saz replied. “We can, I guess…”

 

Suny let out an excited giggle, helping Swabby pour glitter into the mixture.

Saz’s eyes never left the bowl as Swabby mixed everything together.

 

Swabby watched him out of the corner of his eyes, noticing how Saz almost seemed like in trance watching the dye like this. Maybe he was... well, Swabby would leave him this little pleasure. Perhaps they finally found a way that could help Saz calm down if he needed to.

 

Getting something that would produce moving colors for him to watch shouldn't be that hard, should it?

 

Once Swabby finished mixing more colors for the icing, he got small spoons and brushes for the children. “Alright everyone,” he declared, “the cookies are cool enough for decorating!”

 

The children had a blast.

 

Sans was lazy with his decorations, mostly using blue frosting and placing random sugar pearls along the sides of the cookies in some vague shapes.

Pyru’s cookie turned out to be small masterpieces, each of them delicately decorated and color coded.

Papyrus and Suny, however, both went for the strategy of ‘the more color, the better’. Their cookies ended up being layered with frosting with an amalgamation of glitter and sprinkles on top.

 

Saz did not decorate his own cookies much, his fingers not use to find work. He just brushed thin layers of frosting over each individual cookie once Swabby handed him a brush.

Parz seemed to develop a competitive nature once he realized how Pyru’s cookie were turning out and did his earnest to make each cookie look perfect. The smaller skeleton even used the sugar pearls to create some ornaments on the tree cut outs after coating them with green frosting, using sprinkles delicately placed to mimic tinsel. This, however, wore Parz out quickly and his plate of finished cookies turned out to be the smallest stack.

 

About half way through the process of decorating their cookies, a small argument broke out between Papyrus and Parz.

 

“GLITTER WOULD LOOK PRETTY IN IT.”

 

“No,” half growled Parz. “I don’t want glitter.”

 

“THEN WE SHOULD ADD SOME TOMATOES. ALL DISHES ARE BETTER WITH TOMATOES!”

 

“No, Papyrus,” huffed Parz, more talkative than usual in his worked-up state. “It will taste bad!”

 

“NO IT WON’T!”

 

“Yes, it will!”

 

“Now now,” Swabby quickly broke the two up. “Cookies really aren’t a dish so there’s no need for tomatoes… but, if you want, you can add some glitter to your cookies later, Papyrus.”

 

Parz huffed but, for the remainder of the cookie session, hovered close to Swabby, thankful that the flame was at least on his side about the tomatoes.

“It’s kind of a shame we’ll have to eat these later,” muttered Swabby as he helped the children clean themselves up and placed the cookies away into round tins. “But cookies made with love are the best there is.”

 

The children agreed with him readily, even more so when Swabby winked at them and gave them some of the finished ones to try.

 

He just hoped he had enough tins now for this mass of cookies...

 

 

True to his word, Fellby helped with the window decorations. Grillby had already hung the lights outside, so Fellby just helped Swabby with the inside décor while the children were away at school. “So uhh… what exactly are we doing here?” the blue flame asked as he looked at the white, flakey paint Swabby was preparing.

 

“Window painting,” answered Swabby happily. “It’s super easy. See, you take these shapes… I have trees, bells, stars and… well just about everything really. You just place the shapes on the window and paint this stuff around it then take the shapes away. It’ll go great with the lights outside.”

 

“Huh,” mumbled out Fellby while taking a tree shape. “Sounds easy enough,” he continued, painting over the shape as instructed. “Who came up with this anyways?”

 

“I don’t know,” replied the yellow flame, painting over a bell shape. “It’s something I did in Hotland a lot with my family… Our house had lots of windows so… we did this on holidays. Later I sometimes did that at my home too,” Swabby added before looking at the paint again. “I um… It kinda looks like snow a bit. Don’t you think? There’s no snow in Hotland… but…”

 

Fellby took off the shape, looking over the image. It really did look like frost had formed around a tree that wasn’t there anymore. “Family tradition?”

 

Swabby frowned and looked away. “In a way?”

 

Fellby blinked at the smaller flame’s reaction. Well, Swabby had hinted at… things sometimes when they spoke about the past. He didn’t really have a clue as to what was going on but he understood that Swabby had a falling out with his family. At least with his parents. “So… what then?”

 

“My parents were always a bit… much with this,” mumbled out Swabby, pointing at towards the decorations. “With time it just… lost meaning to them or I guess it did. They quit decorating themselves, just letting others do it for them. I mean, they were busy, yeah, but still… It felt… empty.”

 

“…and now?”

 

“This feels… right,” answered the yellow flame, a smile forming once again on his features. “It’s fun and feels… like a real family thing.”

 

Fellby gave a soft hum, taking the next shape. A family thing, huh? He kind of wished, not for the first time, that he could remember more of his own… Sure he was happy, he could remember clearly that he adored his parents and was likewise cherished but everything was… foggy. It hurt too much to think about it, both his soul and his head. Whatever he had was lost and gone now… turned to ash by the humans.

 

“So what do you say?” asked Swabby, stepping back from the window and looking at the art work.

 

Fellby blinked, stepping back himself. “Looks… perfect,” he answered, smiling a tiny bit.

 

Even if he could not remember his own traditions, it wouldn’t hurt to make new memories.

Still… the thoughts never left Fellby over the following days. He found himself thinking back to it whenever he had spare time… about his parents, trying to remember the things they did together. They were lovely people.

His mom full of energy, with a bell like laugh… She and Swabby would probably have gotten along great with one another. His mom liked to bake so it was more likely than not she would have made cookies too… or perhaps a pie?

His dad was big and strong but gentle and silent, like a rock. He’d always be there for Fellby no matter what. Fellby couldn’t help but to wonder if the man would have gotten them a tree; he had vague memories of multicolored lights.

 

 

That evening he sat together with Grillby alone, Swabby having retired early. Grillby was reading a book while Fellby mended one of Suny's shirts after a little accident. Fellby never would have thought that he’d be good at fixing burn marks.

 

He was still thinking of Gyftmas and traditions or trying to at the very least… Trying to remember made his head hurt. Therefore, he gave up after a while, looking to Grillby. “Hey, Grills, how much do you remember of stuff?”

 

"Stuff?" asked Grillby, blinking at Fellby.

 

"You know... family and... Winter's Turn..."

 

Grillby put his book away, thinking seemingly about his answer. "... Some things are pretty clear but I must admit many things are... still a bit foggy for me. It got better in these last years. The first years of the Underground I am afraid I couldn't recall much, be it past or present."

 

"Really?" Fellby questioned a bit surprised. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had troubles with memories.

 

"Yes. I owe a lot to Swabby,” explained Grillby, prompting Fellby to raise his eyebrows. “He was a... a good friend over the years and he helped... grounding me. His friendship and tales often triggered pleasant memories from my own past."

 

"Huh,” mumbled Fellby. He was tempted to ask if Grillby had remembered him at that time or if he was forgotten for a while too.

 

Grillby seemed to know what he was thinking however, turning to Fellby fully. "You didn't go forgotten by me,” he hurriedly explained. "I recalled having a friend who meant the world to me. In my confused state after the war, however, I thought you lost like all the other things in my life... I recalled that you went away before the war and even later I heard talk that you were somewhere in Hotland. I kept a lookout but..."

 

"How’d you get my number then?"

 

"Random chance,” shrugged the orange flame in return. “You have almost the same as my sister. I pressed the wrong button."

 

"Oh." That... that wasn't what Fellby had expected at all.

 

"... if it helps, I am glad I did."

 

"Really? Wanting me more than your sister?"

 

"I never was close to her and we got... even more distant after..."

 

"Really? You talk to her every week." Fellby had never seen or met Grillby's sister that he could remember but he knew that Grillby called her each week without a fail.

 

"Not really to her... more to Fuku, her child. And we... we have an understanding. But we aren't friends."

 

"Oh..."

 

"She didn't like you being around."

 

"Tze... who does?"

 

"... The children. Swabby. Me."

 

"You... you’re all idiots,” Fellby muttered out, looking away.

 

"The children too?"

 

"They’re kids, they don't know any better."

 

"Is it so strange for you to know that you are loved?"

 

Fellby did not reply.

 

The two flames sat in silence for a long while, not moving save for the gentle stitching of fabric beneath blue fingers.

 

The fire began to burn low. It was late enough that it made no sense to keep it up.

 

Grillby stood, gathering some blankets for Fellby and wrapping the smaller flame into them.

 

“Thanks,” the younger flame mumbled, setting the shirt aside. “Night.”

 

 

It did take a long time but a memory came to him a few days later as he watched the fire that Grillby had built up some time earlier within the fireplace of the living room.

“I uh… just remembered something,” mumbled Fellby awkwardly, looking at Grillby and Swabby who sat with him on the couch, sorting through various decorations they were planning to put on the tree as the children played upstairs. “You know… from before. Uh… Winter’s Turn.”

 

Grillby and Swabby both turned towards the blue flame as he spoke.

 

“Hm? What do you remember?” questioned Swabby, grabbing another cookie from the plate sitting on the coffee table. He had decorated a handful himself earlier with the children to set aside for them to munch on later, so far Fellby had eaten most of them.

 

“Something we did, I think,” mumbled Fellby, still deep in thought. “Lighting a great fire in the garden and throwing in wood… We’d all sit together around and… and look into the flames and the smoke, trying to see stuff.”

 

“…” Grillby glanced towards his cousin, not remembering anything of the sort himself.

 

“It uh was stupid but…”

 

“You know,” spoke up Grillby, “we can do this too.”

 

Fellby shook his head in response. “Sounds like a lot of trouble.”

 

“We’re making snow lanterns anyways,” huffed Swabby. “We can do this too!”

 

“Do you really wanna sit in the cold for hours, candle?”

 

“I’ll get your coats out,” chuckled Grillby. “They should be re-charged already so a few hours won’t be any problem.”

 

Fellby huffed at that but it was obvious that he was tempted. “Throw in a bag of marshmallows and I’m in.”

 

“Deal.”

 

And that is how Fellby got roped into fetching wood with Grillby, Parz and Pyru while the others stayed behind with Swabby to prepare space for the bonfire.

It was fun, however. With the assistance of the magical coat providing protection from the elements and with Grillby being close by there was no way one could get cold. Fellby even ran around in the snow with the children, playfully wrestling Parz and chasing Pyru’s canine form, even starting a small snowball fight when the skeleton got too far ahead. In truth, Fellby was having the time of his life!

 

Even Grillby joined in, his quiet laughter mixing in with the others

Parz was good in this they discovered quickly, fast and nimble. With the two flames providing heat nearby, he could move around without as much pain from the cold.  
Fellby couldn’t help but to marvel at how well the boy had healed. He still had nightmares about Parz laying broken within his arms… Memory twisting to show him dust coating his hands and eyes pleading for mercy only he could give.

 

He was also kinda glad that Parz still had the habit of coming downstairs at night, often dragging Saz along like a living teddy bear. There were countless nights where he had held them close, warming their bones while wishing they could finally the life they deserved… without pain or fear of tomorrow.

 

With the exception of the cave-in, life looked quite good for that now.

 

However…

 

Saz and Parz knew about his magic now… They were good boys and Fellby knew he could trust them with such knowledge but—

Fellby’s thoughts were interrupted as Parz tackled him into the snow.

The blue flame laughed and twisted to grab hold of the small skeleton, whispering lowly to him on how to get Grillby while he got Pyru.

 

“You want me to get dad?” whispered Pyru. “But he is strong!”

 

“Yeah and remember what I told you about going up against strong people?” whispered Fellby back while Parz kept Grillby distracted.

 

“Don't and run away?”

 

“...yeah but also if ya got a chance to surprise them then you gotta take it.”

 

“Uh... but how?”

 

Fellby let out a mischievous chuckle. “Grills is ticklish at his sides. Use that.”

 

A matching grin spread over Pyru’s features. Fellby had taught him well.

 

 

Together they brought Grillby down easily, laughter echoing through the trees as Grillby was tickled mercilessly, although Fellby kinda suspected that his cousin was playing along a lot. He never was THAT sensitive that he would be rendered helpless by tiny bones tickling him through multiple layers of clothes.

 

Still a victory was a victory!

 

They calmed after a while, panting slightly.

Grillby helped Fellby up and the two busied themselves fetching the wood they were here for before making their way back home.

 

The group returned home exhausted yet laughter still on their breath, Grillby carrying most of the wood while Parz and Pyru held onto an arm full of twigs.

 

Fellby, meanwhile, had filled his pockets with pinecones. Aside from making Papyrus jump twice his height into the air, the pinecones were fun to throw into the flames causing them to pop and crackle in the heat.

 

The others had, in the meantime, cleared a spot in the backyard as well as set up a medium sized table with enough chairs to fit them all. Nine mugs of hot coco stood upon the table alongside the bag of marshmallows which were now missing a few due to Papyrus and Suny having snuck some earlier.

Swabby was warming the mugs with his hands when he spotted them exiting the forest. He smiled widely and waved, his bright flames illuminating the backyard nicely.

 

Sans and Saz were sitting on one of the chairs, sharing a blanket. Saz already asleep with his head leaned against the slightly taller skeleton’s shoulder.

Papyrus and Suny were in their dog forms, running around the backyard chasing each other. They halted when they laid eyes on the others, tails beginning to wag frantically.

 

“Poor Saz was totally exhausted after helping,” explained Swabby noticing Fellby’s questioning look towards the boy. “He and Sans opted to take a nap.”

 

“Eh let me handle that,” muttered Fellby, stepping over to the two skeletons. “Hey, lazybones, shift over and help your brothers,” he told Sans, reaching out to pet his skull. “I think I’m in need of a nap more than you.”

 

Sans huffed when he was prompted to leave the cozy warmth but did not protest. He was quickly tackled to the group and roped into playing by Papyrus as soon as his feet touched the snow.

 

Fellby settled into the seat, carefully cradling Saz in his arms and concentrating his magic once he was sure no one was watching.

 

Saz  
LV ???  
HP 3/3  
AKT ???  
DEF ???

_Exhausted but happy and warm._

 

Fellby sighed, glad that the boy was back to his full 3 HP. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath at all... Still, it was better to keep an eye on such. Fellby held Saz carefully, sliding one hand against the small skeleton’s stomach and beginning to feed him a light dose of heat. Something familiar, calming… of course it wasn’t the same as sharing heat with another flame but still.

 

Saz shifted with his hold, relaxing deeper into the warmth surrounding him, his bones beginning to glow a small bit red as his magic reacted with Fellby’s own.

 

Fellby smiled, enjoying the down time. This was the perfect excuse to be lazy, watching as Grillby and the remaining children built up the wood for the fire.

 

Grillby even provided some bottles of alcohol to throw into the fire.

For a moment, Fellby felt a spark of desire while looking over the dark glass but quickly pushed the thought away. He would NOT get drunk near the kids! It was one thing to get smashed in Hotland, to drown out unwanted memories and forget, but not here in Snowdin.

 

That lesson was already learned.

 

Fellby took a quick glance towards Swabby who was now handing out blankets to the others. He had been an idiot that day. Though Swabby might’ve been a bigger one in that time… but it served to teach him well. It was something he just couldn’t forget, no matter how hard he tried. Fellby shuttered. He wouldn’t risk harming the few people who apparently gave a damn about him.

 

Besides, even with Grillby practically bullying the king into making him a legal guardian for the boys, he highly doubted that his cousin would tolerate something like that happening again…

 

Fellby held the small skeleton closer, trying not to think about how much he could royally fuck up this whole situation.

 

When they finally got the fire going it was beautiful. Flames rising high into the air, the healthy hue seemingly making everything around it glow with unnatural light.

 

Saz had woken from the mighty roar of the fire, eyes wide as he looked on with the others into the flames.

The snow had long melted around the fire when Grillby threw one of the bottles onto the flames. There was a bright flash as the flames flickered higher for a moment, giving off different colors and forms.

 

The children awed at the display.

“THIS IS SO PRETTY!” chirped Suny. “IT’S LIKE THEY’RE ALIVE!”

“THEY LOOK HAPPY,” nodded Papyrus. “LIKE UNCLE SWABBY AND DAD WHEN THEY’RE HAPPY.”

Fellby glances towards his cousins. Well, yes, if you were to ignore the fact that it was just a normal fire and not an elemental, the flames did flicker as though they were happy.

 

“It’s cool,” mumbled Sans entranced.

“So,” began Swabby, turning his attention to Fellby, “you said you saw stories in them?”

“Uh yeah,” replied the blue flame, scratching at his cheek. “You uh look into the flames and try to see forms in the smoke and… well make up a story based on what you see…”

 

“I SEE A BUNNY RABBIT!” exclaimed Suny, giggling while the others tried to point out various forms too.  
  
Pyru pointed towards the top of the fire. “That looks like dad when he’s surprised.”

 

They spoke excitedly of more sights, quickly sharing them with the group.

Swabby found himself telling short stories inspired by what the children mentioned.

Grillby threw a few more bottles onto the fire as it began lowering.

Fellby did likewise with the pinecones. After, of course, scaring Papyrus with a few.

 

As the stories came to an end, the fire slowly simmering, the children begged for just one more tale.

 

“Do you know the story of how flames came to be?” asked Grillby suddenly. It was getting dark, the flames almost low enough that they could start roasting the marshmallows and Grillby planned to tell this as the last story.

 

“No,” replied Suny quickly.  
  
“Nope,” answered Pyru, looking towards Grillby.

 

“They um said a king before Asgore made most elementals monster,” muttered out Saz.

 

“That is only half the truth,” told Grillby gently. “I’ll tell you the full story.”

It barely took a minute before all the children were seated around him, Fellby and Swabby were even swept up in the shift.

Grillby leaned back in his chair, Sans and Saz climbing quickly into his lap.  
Papyrus, likewise, took his seat on Fellby’s knees as Parz leaned his back against the blue flames’ legs.

Pyru curled up around Swabby’s feet, transforming into his canine for so that Suny could sit against his stomach.

 

“The very first elementals were summonings,” began Grillby. “Forces of nature held together by strong magic who were called upon by the humans. However, the first elementals were… more like golems. They had no thoughts of their own, filled with simple instructions and used as laborers. But then conflicts started within the monster, long before the war in fact.”

 

“What do you mean?” questioned Saz.

 

“Human wizards began using the elementals against other monster or, sometimes, against one another. To be able to fight, the elementals had to become… more aware, more intelligent and able to learn. They were given a consciousness. But these new elementals were still bound to their human summoners, unable to disobey and forced to carry out each and every command given to them.”

 

Fellby frowned slightly, something prickling in the back of his mind. This… sounded familiar. Though he was sure he had never heard any of this before…

 

“Arguments began arising and the elementals began to learn more than they were meant to. Finally, a group of them decided that they did not want to be used anymore, did not want to fight or hurt anyone anymore and, with the help of some kind monsters, they escaped their summoners and were brought to the king who ruled during that time.”

 

“What did the king do?” asked Suny.  
Papyrus leaned forward, only Fellby’s hand around his middle keeping him from falling. “Did the king help?”

 

“The king was a kind one,” continued Grillby, “with a green soul strong in his chest. He was known as the king of healing.”

 

“I’VE HEARD OF HIM!” chirped Saz. “WE TALKED ABOUT HIM IN HISTORY!”

 

“Yes,” chuckled Grillby. “I’m sure you did. The king of healing did a lot for monster kin after all… and helped the elementals who came to him strip their shackles, making them citizens of the community. High plant elementals, earth elementals, water elementals, wind, elementals and, of course, fire elementals began to live in the royal court, learning under his care how to work as a normal monster while testing out their new-found freedom. It was not long after that the king, who was still without partner or children, fell in love with one of the fire elementals. He appreciated their wits and found comfort in their company, he was happy when they were and sad when they cried. The king wrote songs and poems about their beauty, body and mind, about how much affection he held for them.”

 

“Yuck.” Parz made a face.

 

Swabby chuckled lightly, flames flickering at the action.

 

“But there was one thing that kept him from asking them to be his queen.”

 

“What was it?” questioned Sans.  
“Did they not like the king?” asked Papyrus.

 

“You see,” replied Grillby, “all of the elementals at that point were free but still barely had a free will. Unprompted and left on their own they would be fine but every command or order, just a falsely worded statement even, would prompt them to follow through with it against their will, even if it were to bring them pain.”

 

A sharp pain seared through Fellby’s mind alongside a flash of dark red and black flames. A memory, still unfocused of a man who never told him ‘no’, who never thought to do anything other than what he asked of them… Was his father…? He was told something long ago, something he couldn’t quite remember…

 

“The king of healing practiced in wording his sentence very carefully but what if he were to make a mistake and hurt the one he loved? Not just them, but all other elementals as well… They could not hide behind his walls forever and even monsters filled with kindness, love and compassion could make a mistake or do harmful things. What if someone told a flame to go out in the rain or a water elemental to wait in a dry spot for too long? What if a plant were sent to tend a fire too large for them or a wind elemental were ordered to let go of their fine control? This scared the king, so he started to research and work, building up one of the greatest spells ever made from monster magic; a spell to break the line of human magic inside the core of each elemental, to change the part of them which had to obey.”

 

The children were focused solely on Grillby now, hanging off each word.

Fellby, meanwhile, became lost in his thoughts. Blurry memories and little things such as his mother always asking questions of if his father wanted to do something, her phrasing abnormally to her usual way of speaking… His father’s smile every time Fellby would argue and tell them no to something…  
  
“And he succeeded. The first time his beloved flame told him no he cried happy tears and asked them to marry him.”

 

“DID THEY?” asked Papyrus and Suny together.  
  
Grillby chuckled at them. “The flame smiled and refused him three times before finally asking the question themselves and becoming the queen of monster not long afterwards. They had two children who started their own lines of Boss Monster, which is on the throne to this very day. This, my children, is how the elementals gained their free will and how Boss Monsters received their fire magic.”

 

“REALLY?” gasped Suny, eyes wide. “A FLAME WAS QUEEN? WERE THEY PRETTY?”

 

“Yep,” chuckled Swabby softly. “At least that is what the poems and songs the king wrote said. I believe the former Queen Toriel is a descendant of this line…”

 

“Queen Toriel was indeed a natural in fire magic,” agreed Grillby. “I saw her once…” He stopped talking at this, flames crackling softly, eyes a bit unfocused as a memory overcame him.

 

Fellby and Swabby exchanged looks, both knowing Grillby should not think too much about whatever he had on his mind in the moment.

 

“Anyone wants marshmallows?” interjected Swabby quickly, distracting the children.

 

Only Papyrus and Parz seemed uninterested as Swabby took the others to sit close by the fire which was slowly becoming smaller.

 

Fellby turned towards Papyrus and Parz. “You two don’t want any?”

 

“They make my teeth hurt,” mumbled Parz, rubbing at his fangs.

Papyrus shook his head, instead hugging onto Grillby’s leg. “Dad?”

 

Grillby blinked and looked down at the skeleton, petting his skull with a small smile.

 

“Thank-you for telling us the story,” said Papyrus softly, hugging a bit tighter. “One day I wanna be just like the king and help all the monster!”

 

Grillby blinked at the childish wish, feeling his soul soar.

No matter what type of soul Papyrus would come to have, his kindness would always be a part of him.

 

Parz came over, hugging onto him too.

Grillby blinked but carefully wrapped his arm around the boy.

Parz had, along with Papyrus and Pyru, shot up a lot but all of them were still so small compared to Grillby that he could easily carry them around.

 

“You’re great, dad,” mumbled out Parz awkwardly. “And um... thanks for the story.”

 

Grillby let out a small sound, unable to help himself, as he hugged both boys close. “I love you both,” he whispered, voice struggling but complying with him enough to say these important words.

 

“Alright, alright already,” complained Fellby after a few seconds as he stood up and gave Grillby’s shoulder a soft push. “Quit hogging the boys or I’ll make you eat twenty smores.”

 

Papyrus blinked up at Fellby. “What’s a smore?”

 

“… Oh my god,” Fellby gasped in mock horror. “SWABBY!”

The yellow flame jumped slightly as his named was yelled and glanced back confused towards the blue flame.

 

“HOW HAVE YOU NEVER SHOWED THESE BOYS A PROPER SMORE?!?”

 

Grillby found himself unable to control his laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart!  
> By DealDraws  
> http://deal-right.tumblr.com/post/166998221258/i-havent-been-drawing-much-lately-per-say-but-i  
> (It got mostly Deal's wonderful OC Felys but also Swabby in a Grandmother costume. ;) )
> 
> Thank you for this, and also thank you all so very much for comments and kudos, they are still big motivators for us. Also check out our tumblrs for questions we answered. We hope you enjoyed the chapter. See ya next time.


	30. Blueberry Cookies and Sugar Muffins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How I met your Auntie Muffet...

Ever since the kids began attending school, there came the issue that Fellby became overly huffy and bored throughout the day resulting in some rather interesting incidents around Grillby’s bar, the library and the Snowdin Sentry Stations.

Therefore Grillby was asked nicely to DO SOMETHING about it.  
Multiple times.  
There might have been some pleading involved too.

Having Swabby as a babysitter sadly was not the best of all ideas. He could only do so much… especially when it became obvious that the yellow flame tended to go along with some of Fellby’s schemes, sometimes hatching the plans himself.

Snowdin didn’t know what hit it.

The shopkeeper bunny was still glaring at Swabby when she saw him, even after the elemental apologized to her in the name of himself and Fellby over a dozen times. At least she had stopped putting extra powdered sugar on the cinnabunnies for the children which was a relief.  
Papyrus and Suny loved to get a snack from the shopkeeper after school with their allowance, sometimes even getting sweets from her for free for simple tasks such as bringing her the days mail. Having them riled up from the pinch too much sugar was exhausting for everyone involved.

Nevertheless, Grillby had to find a solution for the problem of having a bored flame sitting around his house.

Therefore, family days was introduced.

The concept was a simple one: in the weekend, when the children had no school, they would go on a field-trip and do things together as a family.

It tended to tire Fellby out quite nicely along with the children and the week following he’d be more inclined to listen to reason or just rules in general.

Swabby was happy to spend time with the children in general. And, overall, it pleased him that Grillby took the weekends off to relax.

Truly a solution where everyone benefits.

The first few trips were to Hotland; visiting Swabby’s diner, going for a nice swim in the lava pools or just visiting random shops which had completely different items than the shops in Snowdin carried.

The children were delighted by all of it. They enjoyed swimming and playing in the lava while the flames had a much needed soak, often being drug into the games moments later.  
A bath in lava would leave their bones pristine, clean and seemingly shining like a flame. Not to mention that all six of the children were bemused by the fact that the flames gained a small glitter effect from being in the lava.  
After the first few successful outings, others followed. Including a trip to the Wishing Room.  
Fellby and Swabby had been huddled up tightly in protective gear; Fellby eager for the extra layer of protection while Swabby pouted, complaining that he couldn’t use his hands in the thick gloves. Still, Grillby had led them through the driest tunnels he could find, many weeks of questioning locals and studying the cave network to allow for such. It was a slow walk that day and even in the most driest tunnels, Swabby and Fellby both were stepping carefully around small puddles of water while the children ran around carefree; Papyrus, Pyru and Suny in their canine forms a good portion of the time, splashing through the tunnels whilst stopping at every patch of mushrooms or plant-life they’re come across.

Pyru had stopped more times than the others, watching other monsters go about their daily business. He even spoke with a little ghost who had ran through him while chasing a snail.  
Sans, Saz and Parz tended to stick close to Fellby the entire trip, Sans keeping a watchful eye on his brothers… at least til they actually got to the Wishing Room where Sans’ eyes lit up, mesmerized by the star-like patterns.

Swabby explained the tradition of the wishing to the stars to them, even Fellby contributed a small bit remembering details from his own childhood.

Later on, they took a trip to Muffet’s on Fellby’s request having wanted a sweet snack yet, obvious to the two flames with him, trying to avoid the center-most part of Hotland.  
Muffet, as it turns out, adored the children a lot, calling them all sorts of sweet-based names and even handing out free samples to them.

The very notion causing Fellby to pout. “You never gave me freebies,” he huffed. “Unfair.”  
“Oh, Muffin,” cooed Muffet, petting at Fellby’s cheek. “It’s business, nothing personal. Besides you were a grown flame when we first met.”  
“Stupid more like,” grumbled Fellby out. “I’m your best customer, Cupcake!”

He huffed even more when Muffet just laughed at that.

Muffet became ‘Auntie Muffet’ rather quickly and a source of great cheer when it was announced that the family would travel to her bakery.

Besides the sweets and overall idea of having a fun new aunt to play with, there was another reason why the children were happy to visit her...  
“AUNTIE MUFFET, WE’RE HERE,” announced Suny loudly as they walked into the bakery, Papyrus at his side.

Sans, Parz and Pyru were walking a bit slower behind them and Saz half hid behind Fellby as the flame followed after.

His hiding was not due to Muffet. Far from it. Muffet was fun and strong, able to pick him and his brothers all up at once with her six arms, a feat made even more impressive considering that Papyrus, Parz and Pyru were already as tall as the spider monster.

Muffet crossed over the counter, her black hair tied up in two separate ponytails and wearing a lavender colored apron over her usual work attire, laughing as she shooed off some tiny spiders before opening her arms wide to greet the skeletons. “Ah my little sugar skulls,” she exclaimed. “Come here and let me give you all a hug!”

Saz really wanted to! But…  
Something kept him firmly behind Fellby.  
And it was growling!

A beast made of cake and frosting, in the vague shape of a giant muffin with eight spidery legs suddenly rammed it’s way out of the kitchen, running towards the skeletons. It let out a fierce roar, tackling both Papyrus and Suny right before they could reach Muffet.

Both boys let out a shriek as the beast opened its giant mouth, half swallowing Suny in one go.  
“Crumbs! Crumbs, down!” reprimanded Muffet, placing four arms onto her hips. “Crumbs!”  
Crumbs lifted his head, spitting out Suny covered in purple frosting.

“Aww hell,” muttered Fellby as the beast’s eyes lay on him, readying himself.

Saz let out an “Eep!” sound, using the moment to shift half-way and hide behind Swabby as the beast charged forward, tackling Fellby.

Muffet laughed outright as Swabby giggled behind his hand. Even Grillby looked amused as Fellby went down hard with a squawk.

Crumbs made sloppy, excited noises seemingly determined to coat the blue flame’s entire face with frosting.

“Ugh get down ya stupid mutt,” grumbled Fellby, shoving at Crumbs who did not seem to pay any mind to his struggling. “Come on now, you’re embarrassing the both of us!”

“Crumbs, down boy,” Muffet finally called, shaking off her laughter to help Fellby by pulling the giant muffin beast off of him.

Fellby spat out some of the frosting which found its way into his mouth. “About damned time,” he huffed though accepted the hand offered by Muffet, easily pulling him to his feet. “Damnit, Crumbs, you are getting way too big for that,” he added, scolding the beast.

Crumbs, however, happily barked at the grumpy flame.

Fellby’s expression shifted and he gave out a sigh, crouching down. “Alright, alright. Come here you oversized muffin,” he mumbled, petting Crumbs, earning some happy sounding growls from it.

If one were to look in just the right angle, they would see Fellby smiling oddly warmly towards the beast.

Saz peeked around Swabby’s side, relaxing a bit when he noticed Crumbs being distracted.  
Swabby petted at the child’s skull. “Don’t worry, Saz,” he spoke quietly. “I nearly had a heart attack the first time he jumped me.”

 

Saz smiled a bit.

Swabby gave the skeleton’s back a gentle push forward. “No run along,” he chuckled. “Don’t you want to go over to Muffet too?”

Saz nodded, hurrying to the others who were now all swept up in a hug.

Swabby’s hugs were warm and tight, Grillby’s were strong, Fellby’s were rare and special. But there was something to being hugged by six arms that only Muffet could manage.

 

“Aww I missed you, my little sugar skulls,” cooed Muffed as she cuddled them close. “You’ve all grown up so fast! It… it’s entirely unfair.”

“Hmph tell me about it,” grumbled Fellby in agreeance as he stepped closer, Crumbs glued to his side. “They just… refuse to stay tiny forever.”

“Uncle Fellby,” scolded Suny, handing coming to his hips similar to how Muffet had before. “We’re not baby bones anymore!”

“Hmm,” Fellby gave a hum, looking over the skeleton. “Still not taller than me, still baby bones.”

“Me and Pyru are already taller than Uncle Swabby,” protested Papyrus. “And I’m almost as tall as you now, Uncle Fellby!”

“Tough luck, kiddo,” remarked Fellby, reaching out to ruffle Papyrus’ skull. “You gotta be as tall as Grills to be considered an adult.”

“In that case,” chuckled Grillby soft, stepping forwards beside Fellby, “you’d still be a child too, huh?”

Swabby and Muffet both giggled at the pout Fellby sported.  
“D’awww baby bones and baby flames would be the best combination,” cooed Muffet thoughtfully. “I wish I had known my Blueberry Cookie as a child… I bet he would’ve been adorable.”

Fellby could feel Grillby’s flames shift with amusement. “Don’t you dare,” he growled out.  
But Grillby did not listen.

“He was,” the bartender answered with a soft chuckle. “Had our entire village wrapped around his little fingers.”

“GRILLS!”

“But… Auntie Muffet?” asked Suny while he and Papyrus continued to pet on Crumbs.  
“Yes, Sugar Skull?” questioned Muffet, leaning down to the skeleton’s height.

“How did you and Uncle Fellby meet?”

Muffet blinked. “Oh… well it was a very long time ago, ahuhuhuhu,” she giggled out, looking to Fellby. “Do you remember that day, Muffin?”

Fellby blinked at her. Of course he remembered.

It had been a long, long time ago though he could still remember each detail clearly.

 

-

 

Hotland and New Home were recently built, both the flames and fire based monster having begun settling there perhaps a good hundred years. Other monsters such as the spiders followed soon after with the construction of the new capital.

The CORE did not exist yet. Just a speckling of houses surrounded by lakes of lava.  
It had been not a good time for Fellby.  
Fellby could not focus clearly on what exactly was happening around him, still lost in his anger and scared from repeating nightmares of death, dust and unknown places…

The hunger hadn’t helped with that in the slightest.

Not that he hadn’t tried. Fellby sought out some flames for help when he was first tossed Underground… though they just sneered their faces and turned away from him in denial.

Grillby had not been there. He had hoped to catch a glimpse of the flame or at least hear that his cousin and family were still alive… But nothing.

He deserved as much.

Fellby spent a lot of his time alone by the lava pools and later in the wall crevice he discovered, slowly transforming the small crack into a moderately sized cave. Safe, secure… Only a flame could ever hope to reach him here.

Safe…

No one could cast judging, unblinking eyes upon him.  
It was an odd feeling after all this time.

It seemed an eternity until Fellby was able to cope around others, sneaking around at night in search of something to fill the pangs of hunger… He knew then he was not the only one.  
There were a lot of not-so-nice monster, Fellby had occasional run-ins with them during the night. They weren’t exactly bad per say… just lost and hurt.

The deaths of both royal children made things worse for many monsters.

A fact he had heard only months after the fact. It had certainly explained the shift in the atmosphere.

Monsters were creatures whom wore their souls on their sleeves. The imprisonment followed by the death of what many presumed was their only hope weighed heavily on everyone’s souls and minds. And with a cracked and damaged soul, a hurt or confused monster would lash out… become cruel and uncaring to the outside.

It wasn’t necessarily their fault. They weren’t bad just…  
It hurt to be good.

Fellby understood them. He was the same, after all.

He tried to watch out for some of them. If only a little.

He did not dare to use his magic, too afraid to even see it himself. Which only brought more anger and hatred of himself for fearing the magic he was once proud of… But he hated the humans more. And hated feeling all the hate ball up inside him.

It wasn’t healthy.

Especially for a monster.

He knew this yet… he couldn’t stop. Instead he just willed everything away, trying not to think about it nor anything save for living even if just for one more day.

However, he did help a bit.

 

Sometimes he would come across a kid and… well he couldn’t just turn away. Fellby knew he was not mentally sound to stay nearby them for long, his anger flaring at a moment’s notice, but he could lead the kid to a safe place to sleep.

Some place one of the towns folk may happen across…

At times he would share his food with a monster he found digging for scraps. Other times he would give them everything he had. Not that it was ever much…

Sometimes, as he walked by the dark alleyways, he’d let his LOVE crackle in the air to break off a fight.

At times he fought.

It was a work in progress.

He began being social again. Just a bit. Little by little.

Though he stayed as far away from the other fire elementals as he could.

There were a few incidents; some fights he picked that weren’t in his best interest, making a wrong move and getting caught by the guards… He did not get into much trouble though his reputation was earned rather quickly.

King Asgore was kind and usually let him go with so much as a slap on the wrist.

Not that it mattered. No one cared anyways.

Even the flames who couldn’t remember how Isatis refused his pleads of help avoided him now like a plague. The whispers of him being a black sheep, having gained LOVE and being unstable pricking the air like a thick fog.

Soon everyone knew of him.

He was an outcast in every form.

He’d grown into the habit of wandering around. The backstreets did not exist at that time yet, so he took care to stay within the less populated areas, the areas where non heat based monsters were beginning to settle the land away from the main lava flows and the fire elementals.  
That was when he noticed something out of place.

There stood a cart with an array of baked cookies and muffins decorating its surface beside an obviously handmade sign proclaiming to be ‘Spider Bake Sale’ with a little purple spider monster standing behind it all.

Muffet wasn’t as tall nor as intimidating then as she is in the present; her fangs still tiny and blunt and far too young to have had trained her magic. She still wore a tiny apron over a lavender dress and her hair just a mop of black instead of the well cared for fashions she would sport later in her life. She was just an ordinary little girl… who looked rather unimpressed with the blue flame standing before her.

Fellby always had a craving for sweets and the cookies looked good despite being made by a child. “Nice stand you got there, kid.”

The little girl’s face seemed to soften, becoming friendlier at the compliment. “It’s a bake sale for the spider fund raiser,” she retorted as though it were obvious, “to help rescue the spiders from the Ruins.” The girl gave a small nod to herself before adding, “It’s from spiders, for spiders with spiders!”

“That’s… a lot of spiders.”

“That’ll be two hundred gold.”

Fellby snorted. “Who ever said I’d buy one?”

The little girl blinked up at the flame, sticking out one finger.

Fellby dropped the cookie he was trying to swipe.

“Two hundred gold,” she repeated herself. “You touch it, you buy it.”

“Two hundred gold? You trying to rob people out here?”

“No, I provide the services and you pay for them.”

“Girl, this is a cookie. You can get like a dozen of ‘em for like two gold.”  
“But it’s a spider cookie,” huffed the spider. “It would take like a million years to get enough money if I sold them for less gold!”

“Nobody’s gonna buy that.”

“You want one.”

“Not for that price,” snorted Fellby. “I could have two hundred cookies for that.”

“But not a spider cookie!”

“Look,” replied Fellby, leaning against the small cart, “I’ll give ya five gold.”  
“Two hundred.”

“Seven.”

“Two hundred.”

“Ten.”

 

“Nu-uh,” the girl shook her head. “Two hundred or no cookie for you.”

Fellby blinked. This kid wouldn’t buckle one bit!

Fellby was beginning to think about how to get that kind of money when he realized he was arguing with a kid about cookie prices. He was a full-grown flame and this girl was just… just a tiny spider! He could just take the damn cookie if he really wanted!

Though… he always had a soft spot for kids…

He left in a huff; half because he became frustrated with this whole cookie ordeal, half because he just realized how hungry he actually was.

Despite everything, he returned the next day after successfully obtaining one hundred fifty gold pieces, noting that the spider child had crossed one of the zeros off of the sign. “Hey there, kiddo,” he greeted, stepping over to her stand. “Finally lower your prices?”

“Not for you,” she huffed out. “My dad said I can’t take that much money.”

Ah so she did have a family. That was good.  
“Yet… here you are, charging twenty gold for a cookie.”

“It’s a spider cookie.”

Fellby gave an affirming hum. “Kid, I’ll give ya two.”

“The sign says twenty.”

“Three?”

The little girl puffed out her cheeks. “No less than twenty!”

This went on for a while until Fellby, due to his own confusion, paid thirty gold for a single cookie.

He walked away, already half way down the cobbled street, before realizing this fact.  
Upon his return, the girl’s only statement was, “No refunds.”

Fellby huffed. “The sign says twenty.”

“We bargained,” the child replied, crossing four hands over the coins on the table.

“And people call me a criminal,” the blue flame huffed as the spider monster cheerfully placed the gold away in a small tin.

Okay, seeing the kid this happy almost made it worth paying that amount of gold for a cookie.

 

Almost.

 

He had imagined at beginning that this was a once in a life time meeting, never to happen again.  
Yet he was back the next day.

And the next.

 

At first it was simply to get the girl, who he discovered was named Muffet, to lower her prices. It became a odd little game for him, something fun to look forward to. But as time went on it became apparent that he just wanted the company.

And a cookie.

Muffet was a witty little thing, not so much in the teeth department yet but she made up for it with her sharp tongue. She made for pretty good company even with the span in their ages.  
Besides that, she was just a little spider girl all on her own in the city.

Even if most parts of Hotland was alright, there were enough people who weren’t so nice… Not to mention that the guards rarely frequented this area.

So Fellby just hung around.

He hadn’t needed to worry about it much. Muffet was a tough cookie herself and the spider clan was well known for looking out for their own, so not many were stupid enough to bother her.  
Nothing much really happened save for a small group of teenagers who managed to make the girl cry after insulting her baked goods.

Fellby took care of them easily enough.

Though his planned reward of lowered prices for chasing the teens off did not come to fruition.  
Of course, some years later, things became more interesting.

Fellby had been waiting at the makeshift stand a few hours before Muffet came over, looking more huffy and frustrated than usual. “Hey, cupcake, what’s wrong?”

“Ugh” grumbled out Muffet crossing four arms in front of her little body. “My parents are being meanie pants.”

The spider monster was perhaps eleven or twelve years old now, one of her fangs missing as it made room for her adult fangs to come in.

“Mean? Your parents?” inquired Fellby, looking amused to Muffet. “What’d they do, cut your profits?”

“They’re not EVIL,” Muffet stated quickly, giving the blue flame a very pointed look. “They won’t teach me fighting magic! They said that I’m too ‘young’,” she pouted, flopping down in her stool. “It’s so not fair!”

Fellby chuckled at the sight. “Well you’re like five so its normal that you can’t use magic yet.”  
“HEY,” protested Muffet, “I’M NOT FIVE!”

“Ah right four, you haven’t had your birthday yet.”

 

“FELLBY, I’M SERIOUS!”

“And I’m Fellby,” the flame shrugged in response.  
Muffet finally tackled him.

Fellby let her do so and, to his horror, quickly saw the error of his ways when he was left helplessly laughing on the ground as the spider sat on his waist tickling his sides with all six hands.

This little girl was going to be the death of him.

He had to cry uncle to get her off of him. Luckily no one was around to witness.

“You know, Cupcake,” Fellby spoke up later, once he finally gained back his breath. “I’ll make you a deal.”

“What sort of deal?”

“Well,” continued the flame, “I want something and you want something so we’ll help one another.”

Muffet gave him a skeptical look though there was a glint of interest within her eyes. “Go on…”  
“How about you hook me up with a discount and I’ll teach you a bit of magic?”

Muffet's eyes lit up, barely hidden excitement clearly visible. “Y-you mean it?”

“Of course,” grinned Fellby. “Let’s call it my payment. I get cookies, you get a magic teacher.”  
Muffet seemed to think on it.

“How hard could it be?”

“Okay,” the spider girl nodded in agreement. “It’s a deal.”

With that they shook hands.

 

Of course, training Muffet wasn’t quite that simple… For one, Fellby had next to no idea how to teach someone about magic though he luckily knew the basics having read so many of Sylvan’s books at an early age. He sort of hoped that he’d figure the rest out along the way.  
Therefore, he taught Muffet about fighting, how to ACT and FIGHT with brief mentioning on showing one MERCY though not to focus too hard on that matter. “Don't bother to much with SPARE. If you find an opening, you’re gonna want to use it. MERCY is just a good way to get yourself killed,” he drilled in.

She insisted on shaping her white bullet attacks in the form of spiders. It was adorable watching her struggle to control their movements.

“Chaotic little buggers,” commented Fellby aloud. “Try to make ‘em orange or blue.”

“But I don’t wanna have them chaotic,” huffed Muffet. “I wanna have more order!”

“Just focus some more magic into it… maybe,” stated Fellby a bit unsure. After all, more magic was better right? “We can work on control later.”

Muffet stomped her foot in irritation at the words but tried none-the-less to infuse more magic into the attack.

It came as a surprise for both of them when purple magic suddenly shot out in line causing the little white spiders to dance along in an uncoordinated back and forth pattern before the magic sizzled and disappeared completely as Muffet lost focus.

There was a beat of silence between them.

“You… YOU GO PURPLE MAGIC?!?”

“I GOT PURPLE MAGIC!”

 

After a short freak out on both parts and some cookies to calm their minds, Fellby’s idea, they sat together on the half wall that was soon to be formed into a housing district to discuss where to go from there.

Fellby had no purple magic so he couldn’t possibly train her in such. Eventually they would have to talk with her parents… or maybe get someone who could use purple magic.  
Until then, however, Fellby decided to try something else. He’d teach her how to fight dirty!  
Muffet proved to be good at fighting dirty, added with help from her grandmother who taught her in purple magic, she grew strong quickly.

At age fourteen she could easily lift Fellby into the air with only one arm. By age fifteen she began using flirting as a distraction tool. At age sixteen she even blackmailed a group of thugs who threatened to harm her, Fellby turning a blind eye that his name was brought in on part of the threats she dished out. Finally, by age seventeen she was feared within Hotland and New Home.

By the time Muffet turned twenty she opened the doors to her very own bakery and seemed to have her hands in dealings with half of Hotland’s Underground.

Fellby’s discount was by then null and void. Of course, there were some things he could do to get sweets or food from her and, as time went on, he became one of the few monsters who were allowed to start up a tab with her.

Muffet was the first real friend he had since the humans destroyed his former life all those years ago.

As Fellby was Muffet’s first friend, customer and semi-employee all bundled into one.  
Fellby formally started his gang up when Muffet was in her early thirties; a few street kids he knew years before, a handful of monsters who had fallen on hard times and a small number of monster with similar problems he himself had with gained LOVE and nightmares leftover from the war with the humans. Just a group of monsters struggling with their new life in the Underground, having either no one left or simply being abandoned due to their multitude of issues that no one wanted to deal with.

He couldn’t really call them friends, however. Not like he did with Muffet. They were… well… for lack of better words, his people. Though they were, for the most part, better off than him but he was still their leader and they his gang.

And being leader meant he could make the rules.

 

“Rule number one,” he stated, completely unprepared, looking over the small crowd of monster who surrounded him. Fellby felt more than saw their eyes boring into him. “Don’t get caught. The king might be a big, fuzzy pushover but the guards are a pain in the ass, believe me. I ain’t gonna go out of my way to bust any of you out of jail. Rule number two: Kids are off limits. I mean it. I catch any of you fuckers going after a kid and you’ll wish you were dust. I don’t wanna hear the ‘they looked older’ or ‘a Moldsmol at that age is an adult’ bullshit. No kids, no excuses!”

Thankfully these two rules no one seemed to have any objections to.

“Rule number three: No killing unless you got no other option. None of you can handle any more LOVE and it ain’t worth gather in the first place. You sneak, you steal and you escape. If you get caught then you hit and you run. If you can’t manage it, come to me and I’ll teach you. If you just wanna kill stuff you can leave right now. Rule number four: Don’t steal from people who don’t have enough to get by themselves. There’s enough snobs in New Home, we don’t have to take scraps from the people here. It’s a waste of effort otherwise.”

Monsters in front of him nodded slowly.

“Rule number five: Have a problem then take it up with me. If I catch you fighting I won't ask who started it, I'll just end it and nobody will be happy about it. Rule number six: If you want an out then talk to me too. We’ll work something out. I won't do that ‘you only get out as dust’ crap. Okay? Okay.”

It wasn’t much of a gang yet though there were enough monster here to watch each other’s backs.

 

Of course, the gang grew over time. More monsters in trouble, more monsters whom Fellby thought fared better off in his gang than out on the streets all alone.

They ate together, pulled off heists together, celebrated together.

There were fuck-ups too.

Sometimes Fellby had to step in. Sometimes things just went wrong.  
Sometimes one of his gang members would get hurt or someone would harm someone under their protection and Fellby would hurt them back.

The guards hated him but, honestly, it was better their attention was focused on him than the rest of his gang. Besides, he could take on a few guards and he sure as hell could out run them.  
There had been a lot of monster in the gang over time, coming and going… all of them special in their own way. Outcasts not fitting in with the rest of the monster society.

The strangest addition, perhaps also the most memorable one, was Bob.

It was in fact Muffet who had told him that she witnessed a small Temmie running around her bakery for about two weeks and Fellby, out of curiosity, went looking.

Though the critter wasn’t hard to find, cowering and whining in an old cardboard box. The Temmie was tiny, fitting into the hollow of Fellby’s hands when plucked from the shelter. Hungry too.

No one quite knew how a Temmie ended up this far into Hotland. Normally the Temmie preferred to live within their own settlement somewhere in Waterfall. Yet here this one was…  
Fellby had no real way to take the little guy back.

It was too young to truly speak, communicating with high-pitched squeaks and mews though Fellby discovered quickly that petting him would calm him down right away. Also, the Temmie’s fur was super soft and Fellby found his hands reaching out to pet him regardless if he needed calming or not.

“I wonder what we should call him,” mumbled Fellby about a week after he had brought the little Temmie into the gang’s current hideout.

The Temmie in question was currently asleep, curled up in the blue flame’s lap while another member of the gang was busy getting a bottle prepared.

“Well,” spoke up Foxy the Vulkin, “most Temmie are just called Temmie. It’s their tradition.”  
“Ugh no,” groaned out Fellby. “I’m not calling him Temmie, it’s stupid!”

“If you say so, boss,” mumbled one of the other gang members from behind him. “How would you call it?”

“…Bob,” said Fellby finally. “He looks like a Bob.”

“Is it even a boy?” questioned Foxy.

Fellby shrugged. “Does it matter?”

 

Foxy seemed to consider the question. “…No?”

“Right answer,” nodded Fellby. “It’s unanimous then, you’re now Bob.”

Fellby soon found a family of kitsune who agreed to take the newly named Bob in and raise him as one of their kits. The two foxes were good friends of the vulkins within Fellby’s gang and had helped them before in the past, all too happy to lend a hand again.

Fellby trusted them.

And, from the looks of it, Bob seems to be quite a happy Temmie too.

Of course, Fellby still visited him from time to time. Checking up on him, making sure he had enough food and was still happy.

Later in life, Bob managed to visit the Temmie Village within Waterfall, forming a connection that made Fellby’s gang one of the most successful ones in Hotland.

Even Muffet, who otherwise chose to stay out of his gang’s business, would sometime ask how Bob was fairing. Fellby half suspected that she wanted to steal the kid for herself.

Considering how she cooed over the skeletons nowadays, it wasn’t that surprising.  
They both came a long way from being a little brat trying to sell overpriced cookies and a good-for-nothing outcast.

 

-

 

“Uncle Fellby?”  
Saz’ voice brought Fellby back to reality. He blinked, focusing on the little skeletons staring up at him. “Huh?”

“Do you remember meeting Auntie Muffet?”

Fellby looked back to the spider monster for a moment, grinning slightly. “I can’t remember a thing, Sugar Muffin. How about you?”

“Ahuhuhuhu oh, my little Blueberry Cookie, I don’t have a clue anymore.”

The two began giggling as the children around them protested.

 

“Auntie Muffet,” Suny pounted finally. “Will you please tell us how you met Uncle Fellby?”

“Well…” the spider mumbled, looking towards the blue flame and her pet.

 

-

Muffet was, despite her appearance, an old monster. She had several centuries on her and was comfortable with the idea of many more to come. For a higher spider monster, rather a queen type if you were to ask her personally, she was rather young all things considered.

Still… She had seen a lot and was much older than most monsters in the Underground at present time.

Things came and went; things she deemed important in her youth seemed ridiculous now, other things she had previously disregarded became very precious…

There were few stable points in her life.  
Fellby was one of these.

Muffet had known Fellby for most of her lifespan. At first the flame was a dear a bit strange friend and magic teacher. He was very important to her.

Something about him was oddly charming. That and he looked smoking hot, pun not intended. As soon as she was of age to notice other monster, Muffet began to develop a rather large crush on the blue flame.

She cringed a bit at the memories of how she first tried to flirt with him. Thankfully he was oblivious of her intention.

When she was in her early thirties she tried to be a bit more direct with her flirting, inviting him to her bedroom a few times but, as always, he declined the offer and simply passed out on her couch looking so exhausted that she developed a habit of wanting to take care of the silly flame.  
There was an awkward moment when they spoke of love and dating… Muffet was a tiny bit disappointed when Fellby proclaimed he didn’t do the dating scene though it was to be expected. Flames were known to stay among themselves and weren’t the casual types naturally.  
It was a shame.

But Muffet could accept that. Fellby was, after all, still her best friend.

Time passed and humans fell down, wreaking havoc. Monster got hurt or killed and the humans got slain.

Fellby was always oddly paranoid whenever there was talk of a new human… yet he still came to her bakery almost every day. Usually trying to talk her into giving him something for free.  
Things constantly changed yet the blue flame always came back to her.

She allowed him into her kitchen once.

He looked as though he hadn’t eaten in some time, beaten from a scrap with the guards more than likely though he never told her exactly what happened.

She sat him down in the kitchen and insisted that he should eat. She suggested the idea that he should help her make a batch of muffins, earn his keep and all.

There had always been the hope that he would stay with her after that.

Hoh boy though, she was in for a surprise.  
Fellby was a disaster in the kitchen!

Muffet just couldn’t understand the HOW or WHY. The blue flame had done everything she instructed of him…

“HOW IN THE WORLD???” Honestly, she was at a loss for words as she used her magic to bind the tiny disfigured living muffin that sprung out of her stove.

Her spider helpers had already been swallowed by the beast as they tried to run across her net to subdue the creature as it roared and squirmed.

“I TOLD YOU I DON’T COOK,” hissed Fellby trying to put out the fire within the oven that had started due to the unsightly amount of crumbs foretelling that this creature obviously ate the rest of the batch during the baking process.

The creature roared, making unsavory sounds.

Muffet threw more webs, sticky streams of purple magic that clung the beast to the counter-top. “I THOUGHT YOU MEANT YOU DIDN’T KNOW HOW,” she shrieked as the muffin beast vomited out a bright pink consistency over the side of the counter, thankfully containing her spider helpers; unharmed though in obvious trauma. “NOT THAT YOU ACCIDENTLY CREATED LIFE!”

“I TRIED TO TELL THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME-“

“THERE WAS A LIST TIME?!?”

 

Fellby gave a growl. “BUT YOU NEVER LISTEN,” he continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted.

Thusly Muffet gained her precious pet.

After taming him, Crumbs became a rather nice companion, loyal to a fault even if he wasn’t entirely bright. A bit like Fellby in that manner.

She loved her little muffin beast with all her soul. Not to mention that it was hilarious when he would tackle Fellby in his endless love for the flame that helped to create him.

As for everyone else? Muffet’s reputation only grew with the rumors of her having a pet who’d swallow people whole under her command.

Not that Crumbs ever actually ATE people. He’d spit them out after a while… not that it was common knowledge.

Besides, Crumbs made sure that the guards wouldn’t bother her. He had the oddest tendency to chase them off… Muffet assumed he rather liked the shine of their armor.

 

Though it was more than likely that the beast disliked how they spoke about a certain blue flame.  
Of course, things were different once the boys came along…

Fellby spent more time away from Hotland with his new-found family and their talks when he visited her were filled with tales of the children. It was easy to see how much he loved them.  
She knew a lot about them before they even came to her bakery the first time… Fellby never was good at keeping secrets from her.

It was a little over two years after Fellby had begun talking about then that she received the strangest call from him.

“You usually don’t call when you decide to come over, Honeybun,” Muffet chuckled as he held back an overly excited Crumbs who had happened to overhear Fellby’s voice through the phone.  
“Yeah, well…” the fire elemental mumbled, discomfort clearly in his voice, so Muffet allotted him time. “You see… Grills and the brats… and Swabby, of course, are comin’ over to yours. They uh want sweets.”

“Ahuhuhuhu,” chuckled Muffet. “Only the kids?”

“Grillby and Swabby too.”

“Uhu even Grillby?”

“Especially Grillby. He wants cookies,” Fellby replied quickly. “And a dozen muffins. Maybe some cake too… What kind of cake you got today?”

“Strawberry-vanilla,” answered Muffet barely able to contain her giggles.

“You ain’t got any chocolate?”

“Oh? I thought it was Grillby who wanted some cake?”

One could almost hear the pout in Fellby’s voice as he responded. “Grillby wants chocolate cake.”

The conversation had ended at that point but left Muffet chuckling for the next hours.

She had been curious, wondering what about the children stole the blue flames’ heart so quickly.  
Sure, Fellby always had a soft spot for children, Bob was enough to prove that point, but this seemed… too homely. Though it was endearing hearing him talk about the children.  
When they arrived, Muffet recognized each of them clearly from Fellby’s stories.

Papyrus and Suny were the first to storm in; Suny’s eyes lit up with small stars as he glanced around in wonder while Papyrus carefully walked around, making sure not to step on any of her spider assistants.

Pyru followed the little ones like a big, boney shadow. He looked laid back but there was a certain tension to his body the gave away his uncertainty.

Sans, on the other hand, hung back, his hoodie pulled around his body as he looked over everything with a judging persona.

Lastly came Saz and Parz… clinging to Fellby’s legs as though their lives depended on being close to the flame.

“WOWIE, IT’S SUPER PRETTY,” exclaimed Papyrus while spinning around. “SO MANY SPIDERS!”

“Ahuhuhuhu ~ Welcome to my bakery,” Muffer giggled out, leaning over the counter slightly to look towards the little skeletons who just now seemed to notice her at the laughter.

Suny’s eyes glowed a brighter blue. “YOU’RE SUPER PRETTY TOO,” the boy cooed. “AND HAVE SIX ARMS! WOWIE!”

Muffet pulled a hand to her lips, giggling. “What a little charmer you are. Careful, little sugar skull.”

 

“Hey, Cupcake,” greeted Fellby as he approached, half dragging Saz and Parz along.

Grillby and Swabby stepped inside behind the blue flame; Swabby clearly uncomfortable whereas Grillby looked the same as the last time she had seen him.

“Hello, Gummy bear,” hummed Muffet, straightening her apron with two hands. “It’s so nice that you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss ya for the world, Sugar Muffin.”

The blue flame looked as though he were going to say more but was interrupted by a loud roar.  
The children turned in confusion, looking to the somewhat hidden door which lead to the kitchen.

Saz and Parz clung tighter to Fellby.

Before anyone could utter a sound, Crumbs crashed out of the doorway and charged blindly ahead, straight towards the smaller two skeletons who had the misfortune of being closest to the door.

Suny barely managed to escape, leaping half under one of the darkly covered tables.

Papyrus, however, was not fast enough.

 

The muffin beast lifted Papyrus easily off the ground within his mouth, swallowing the child in a single glup.

There was a beat of silence as everyone within the room tried to process what just occurred.  
Then the screaming began.

Grillby and Swabby rushed forward though clearly in shock and, on the yellow flame’s part, obviously freaked out by the beast.

Poor Crumbs had no idea what was going on, confused at the sudden bouts of noise surrounding him.

Luckily Fellby charged in front of him, throwing his arms out in a shield-like position to keep his cousins from reaching the oversized muffin. “Grills, stop,” he hissed out. “Don’t go and do something stupid.”

Grillby’s flames flickered angry in response, unable to get words out. His mind too clouded with what had just occurred that he couldn’t even begin to fathom why Fellby would protect this… thing which had just attacked his boys!

“Stay put,” the blue flame growled out. Wither it had been to Grillby or to the beast behind him, only he knew for certain.

“Bad boy, Crumbs,” scolded Muffet.

“Bad, Crumbs!” repeated Fellby, turning around to shake a finger in the beast’s face. “Bad! Drop him!”

Crumbs looked at the flame curiously.

Muffet stepped around her counter, coming into the oversized muffin’s line of view. “Bad boy,” she scolded once more.

The beast actually began to look guilty, lowering it’s head.  
Muffet stepped closer, two hands on her hips. “Spit him out this instant!”

 

Obeying, Crumbs made a unearthly gagging sound and spat out Papyrus who was amazingly unharmed, covered from head to toe in a thick, frosting-like substance.

“THAT WAS SO COOL,” Papyrus exclaimed excited, easily jumping back to his feet as Muffet grabbed a nearby towel and began to wipe the frosting from his face. Finally Swabby and Grillby seemed to get out of their shock too, both of them flocking around Papyrus in an instant. 

“Uhh I don’t think ‘cool’ is the right word there, baby bones,” remarked Fellby with a grimace while letting his cousins dot on the skeleton.

Crumbs continued to look guilty behind the boy, whining lightly as he waited for Muffet and Fellby to forgive him.

Which they did. Both Muffet and Fellby had a big soft spot for the beast.

The children and Crumbs warmed up to one another nicely, save for Saz who was paranoid of the large creature and choose to stay firmly behind Grillby the remainder of the visit. Grillby seemed to stay vary of the beast while Swabby continued to appear very much disturbed but he never voiced such out loud.

And Muffet? Well she became Auntie Muffet around the children’s third visit to her bakery. She always looked forward to them coming, enjoying the little time she got to spend with them.  
In the meantime she had the stories Fellby would tell her of course. But well the children weren't the only ones she got to hear from these days.

Stories of Grillby and Swabby slowly seeped into his tales as well.

It was hard trying to figure out Fellby’s exact relationship with the flames… or rather with Swabby.

Grillby was easy enough; he was family and somebody Fellby admired greatly. Even if the blue flame never said so outloud. 

Swabby was difficult. To be honest, Muffet’s grew to be a tiny be jealous of the yellow flame.  
She had known Swabby for quite some time already; they first met for business with Swabby wanting her bakery to deliver fresh bread and rolls to his restaurant. He proved to be a formidable businessman; hackling her down without looking down upon her and arguing quite nicely for their shared benefits. Well the looking down on her part would have been very difficult considering that the flame was about half a head shorter than Muffet herself. Still, he looked her straight in the eyes as they negotiated prices and conditions.

The yellow flame was also very clearly freaked out by Crumbs yet still came and made dealings with her.

He intrigued her. Thus she agreed to his offer.

Their deals slowly gravitated from fine baked goods to information and photographs.  
It made her a good amount of profit, Swabby too even with his bleeding heart and ideas on handing out free food to the less fortunate. There was no wonder why the flame had to search for ways to make gold on the side.

When the children came along she wasn’t surprised that Swabby came to ask her to look after his diner, though she had not known the exact reasons at the time. The first few days she did so for free, the remaining they negotiated over phone.

When she got wind that Fellby was living with him, well, she decided on a whim to use Swabby’s unique talents for more selfish reasons. His photos were spectacular and no one could fault a girl for dreaming…

Overall, she liked her little business partner and considered him a friend of sorts. Though she wasn’t sure if he shared mutual feelings. Well at least he seemed to be a lot happier than before all things considered.

The children, on the other hand, were adorable and she loved them as though they were her own nephews.

Especially Parz who disliked sweets but took quite the interest in making them. She let the kids help decorate cookies and cupcakes and was rather impressed at how well Parz managed, having the decorations come out very similar to her own style. Fine sugar flowers and tiny pictures made from colored crystals… Muffet couldn’t wait til he hit working age!

Perhaps she’d be able to talk him into working at her bakery…?

 

Muffet shook off her thoughts, smiling at the scene before her. “I’m sorry, my little sugar skulls, but your Auntie Muffet can’t seem to recall exactly… Perhaps some cupcakes would help?”  
Being friends with Fellby was perhaps the best thing that had ever happened to her.  
The blue flame smirked as though hearing her thoughts, leaning over to her to share the latest gossip in Snowdin.

Fellby would always be her bestest, dearest friend.

Perhaps the only one stable thing in her life.  
But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this chapter ^^ Thanks for all of the kudos, likes and reblogs!!


	31. Storm cloud days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby isn't the only one with bad days. A little look into how this little family hits blocks in the road and storm cloud days and how they deal with it.

 

Grillby wasn't the only one with bad days.  
He wasn't the only one with nightmares, living with regrets and horrors of the past and a mind that turned on him from time to time.

 

He knew all too well that the care and support he got from his family, especially from Swabby, isn't one-sided.

 

In fact, all of his little family had bad days; some more easy to spot whereas others were a bit harder to deal with.

 

Swabby's bad days were one of the subtler kind. Grillby first knew about them only from letters with a darker mood than usual, with melancholic words or phrases that seemed too pessimistic for the usually cheerful flame.

 

When he summoned Swabby in the past, during his own darkest days, he knew next to nothing about the struggles of his friend. It took a long time and a relationship built on trust and care before Swabby revealed one of the biggest troubles that haunted him.

 

Depression.

 

An illness that could very easily be lethal to a monster, especially if this monster doesn't have much HP. Grillby can't check for Swabby's exact amount but he knew that he was below average.

 

“They said it was chronic,” Swabby had explained to him one dark evening in the past, his body leaning against Grillby and looking into the fire burning in front them. Grillby had watched Swabby's flames flickering lowly, betraying the emotions that were banished from his voice.  
“It just... comes sometimes. Sometimes there is a reason, sometimes there is none… just my... my mind fighting against me.”

 

Grillby had just nodded at that, not quite understanding but willing to be there to support his friend and cousin.

 

Over the years of living together with him, Grillby  developed a more complete picture of Swabby's issues and status in the family. Oh, the yellow flame was not hated or unloved. However, the way he was treated was... not optimal. Despite being made of compassion, love and magic monster still could hurt each other in bad ways. And the fact that Swabby was yellow was something he was constantly reminded of... in every possible way.

 

“You know, I was this close from running away from home,” he once admitted, some years before the children came into their lives. Grillby had summoned him after a week of not sleeping due to some vivid nightmares. When his cousin arrived Grillby had noticed that Swabby was acting a lot quieter and subdued that usual and, somehow, it ended with Swabby telling him about some issues he had with the last few days and in the end with some deeper stuff.

 

So there they were, the two of them wrapped up in a blanket upon the couch, listening to quiet music, while Swabby spoke softly and Grillby listened to him getting this off his chest.

 

“I hated the way my parents and... well everybody else always treated me as if I would just… break and shatter any moment,” Swabby continued. “It was just urgh! I was always... well… DESPITE, you know? Loved DESPITE being yellow. I was good at something DESPITE being yellow...” His voice lowered to a whisper as he spoke on. “You wanting my friendship despite me being yellow and so on. I hated being something DESPITE! But then we were already writing letters and... well... I couldn't just run; the letters wouldn't have gotten to me anymore.”

 

It was a rather small reason to stay, but it was one nonetheless.

 

Grillby often wished he had known just how severe his struggles had been. He would’ve loved to help out more but with him being at Snowdin and, to be honest, most of the time not stable enough to dare travel to Hotland, there was not much he could do besides being there for him within their various letters and visits from time to time.

 

Now, with living together he could do a lot more for his friend than ever before. Also it wasn't like Swabby had to battle his mind all alone…

  
Asklepios had done a lot on the field of psychological health and, besides from Swabby taking great care to take his medicine always on time, one could think the yellow flame had no problems nor cares in the world at all.

 

But Grillby knew, because just like him, Swabby had bad days. Even now.

 

It usually started with Swabby being late.  
  
The yellow flame was an early ris  er usually but, on times he comes late to breakfast, Grillby knows something is wrong. His flames would flicker a bit lower than usual, not as bright, and his smile would seem… fake. A hollow plaster on his face.

 

Swabby was good in pretending but Grillby was equally trained in spotting when his cousin was pretending. Swabby would keep up the pretense until the children left the house for school only then to slump a bit into himself.

 

Just like this day.

 

“Swabby?”

 

“Oh, Grills, I just... am a bit tried. You know how I get,” tried Swabby to make light of it but Grillby had none of it.

 

Grillby stepped to him and hugged the smaller flame, feeling Swabby first tensing up before relaxing, holding him back. “It's okay,” whispered Grillby. “I'll stay with you.”

 

“But,” mumbled Swabby, “you got work.”

 

“I can take a free day,” he assured, turning his head a bit to look Swabby in the eyes.  
Swabby did not hold the look but hugged tighter to the orange flame, placing his head upon Grillby's shoulder. “You don't have to do that,” he whispered.

 

It broke Grillby's soul hearing him like this. “I want to.”

 

“...why?”

 

“Same reason as the last few times,” replied Grillby. “You are my friend, my family. I won't leave you alone with... the dust and the gray.”

 

There was silence between them and Grillby knew why. It was difficult for Swabby to think clearly in this state; an episode like this weighed heavily on his soul and mind. 

After all, the yellow flame had experienced the horror of the aftermath of the war as a child. No child should see that much hopelessness and dust … added to the way some monsters within Hotland treated him... Grillby admired his cousin for still being able to smile and be this bright even if there are bad days in between. He understoo d.

 

“...Thank you,” whispered Swabby somewhere in the general region of his shoulder.

 

Grillby just smiled a bit, shaking his head and begun to guide Swabby to the couch.

 

 

 

The day was spent similar to Grillby's own bad days; Cuddled up on the couch, zapping through the television channels and watching random videos or reading books. Sometimes just talking quietly  amongst each other.

 

It was not the worst way to spend a day.  
Still, Grillby grew concerned when he saw Swabby's flames still appeared lower on the spectrum.

 

“I think I should call Asklepios again,” mumbled Swabby, shivering a bit. “I think I need some adjustments on my meds...”

 

“If you think so...” replied Grillby gently, petting through Swabby’s flames.

 

“Sorry you are stuck here with me being useless,” added Swabby.

 

“You are not useless,” protested Grillby softly, keeping his hold on Swabby. “And you are doing quite well given the circumstances.”

 

Green flickered up around Swabby's cheeks. “I don't,” he muttered. “I’m a mess...”

 

“You are not,” Grillby reassured gently. He knew the song and dance, he knew that Swabby did as well, but he also understood that he couldn't do anything about it in the circumstances. Some thoughts would just enter the mind and refuse to go. There was little he could do besides proving him wrong each time with gentle words and even more gentle gestures. “And I rather spend the day making sure you feeling well than anything else, Swabby.”

 

“But... this is... not that important. I burden you with this stuff so often... You could do something different... Better. More useful.”

 

“I don’t want to.” He gently petted over Swabby's neck again, warming himself up in order to warm his friend. His flames change from orange to deep reds and blues, flickering against the pale yellow of Swabby’s own fire.

 

When Swabby spoke again his voice was barely a whisper against his shoulder. “You shouldn't care about me.”

 

Grillby took a deep breath and held Swabby even closer. He knew the thought all too well and he had a pretty good guess about where it came from. It didn't really help with it still breaking his heart all over. “But I do,” was the only thing he could say. “And there is no reason why I shouldn't care.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because you are my friend.”

 

“But... what's the use?” whispered Swabby, holding on to Grillby, voice filled with half fear and half acceptance of something he was confronted with at a very young age. “I am just yellow, I am only yellow, all effort would be only be wasted on me. One day I will... run out of luck or something. They said months. Months, not centuries.”

 

“You managed centuries,” whispered back Grillby. Whispering over Swabby's insecurities and his own anger that was beginning to rise, not at Swabby but at the world around them that allowed suffering like this. “Managing that much is not luck, that is you. Don't think like that, my friend. I am still at your side, no matter what.”

 

“...despite me being yellow?”

 

“No, Swabby,” sighed Grillby, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Swabby’s forehead. “Not despite. I just am... you just are. There was never a despite with how I thought about you. You are a very strong monster and I admire you greatly. You are resourceful and clever. You have lots of talents that make you shine. You’ve helped me and the kids so much... I honestly don't know how any of us could’ve managed without you,” the bartender continued softly. “There is no shred of ‘despite’ in any of that. There is just you and that alone is amazing enough.”

 

It must have been the right words to say because Swabby first made an almost sobbing sound before relaxing a lot more in his arms, taking deep breaths.

 

Maybe there were tears. Grillby wouldn't know. He just kept on holding his friend, mumbling gentle words until Swabby's breathing evened out and he fell asleep, peacefully.

 

Grillby didn't dare to leave Swabby for the rest of the day, making sure he slept, ate and was kept warm. Usually bad days only lasted, well, a day or two at most.  
Grillby won't even begin to understand how the medication Swabby takes works but usually it evened out the worst of his lows. He would make sure to monitor a bit how Swabby is doing then and to make sure that Swabby knows that he is, in fact, loved.

 

After all, it was true and only right seeing how many times Swabby was there for him in his darkest hours.

 

The other thing that really helped was, unsurprisingly, the children.

 

Suny could pick up easily if somebody was in distress or in need of a hug. Over the years Grillby learned to simply watch Suny. Whenever he started hugging Swabby more than the average, one could be almost sure that an episode was on the horizon.

 

Other than that, Sans seemed to bound with Swabby over bad days in general. Being diagnosed with depression in his late teens, it seemed that it was important for both of them to have somebody who understands, even if their symptoms weren't quite the same.

It wasn't uncommon to find them together when Sans hit a bad day, with Sans staying at home and Swabby keeping him company. Grillby would swing in during the slow times to check in on them, finding them more often than not either on the couch or in Swabby's room, a blanket around them and some kind of sweets or ketchup near them while deeply buried into a conversation.

 

“It's just... some days I get the feeling of... what does it even matter?” Grillby heard Sans one day mumbling, his voice coming through the half-opened door of Swabby's room. Grillby stilled just in front of it, not wanting to intrude in their conversation but too curious to turn away and simply leave.

 

“Hey, kiddo, you know it matters...” He could hear Swabby and a tiny peak into the room revealed the two of them sitting together; Sans curled up in Swabby's lap while Swabby pat him. “And there is a lot that matters to you; Your brothers, the stars, your science...”

 

Sans was half transformed, his tail waving lazily. “I know but at the same time... I get this strange déjà vu and wake up and think, well, what if things really do repeat over and over and we can't do anything? We are just... figures on somebody's game-board, like chess. And somebody is playing with us over and over until they get bored and toss us all away just forgetting us in some dark corner.”

 

Something in the wording woke a strange feeling in Grillby, akin to a memory.

 

 

_A never-ending war, fighting humans; strong yet others even more so and determined._

_Being sure to have struck a human down, red on the ground and ash in the air, only for the world to stutter for a moment and suddenly the human still stood. OF COURSE they were still there, he didn't struck them, he missed; they moved out of the way, but... but..._

_Lashing out screaming and raging and not caring that the world flickered in a blur around him, feeling his LOVE rise again and again and again as if it shattered after Sylvan died._

_His friend, his confidant, HIS precious person. HIS! MAKE THEM PAY FOR THIS!_

_When he let it control him for the first and only time._

_DON'T THINK, DON'T THINK_

_KILL THEM, BURN THEM, MAKE THEM ALL GO AWAY. TURN THEM ALL TO DUST._

_When he was screaming and burning with raging._

_GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!_

 

 

Grillby shook his head and scolded himself a fool.  He didn't remember much of that time, only a flash of the face of the human whom had killed his friend; a red soul and a face that seemed to match with hate and anger, frustration and fear. He killed the human and time seemed to shutter only for him to kill the man again, just a bit differently than before. But he surely just imagined killing him the first time, didn't he?

 

He shook himself fully from the memory. It was a long time ago and, surely, he wasn't quite sane in that moment. Besides, it did not have anything to do with Sans' feelings.

 

“Hey, I get that feeling,” Swabby responded, pulling Grillby further out if his musings. “Feeling helpless and out of control, isn't it?”

 

“Yeah... it's like no matter what I do, it wouldn't matter so why even try?”

 

“I can relate. When I have my bad days, it feels like the dust is... clinging to me and trying to drag me down, that I will soon be dust too so why bother to do anything? Why does anybody even bother?”

 

“Yeah like that.”

 

“Yeah but the thing is, kiddo, it's only a feeling. Only the illness making you think like that. It's not true because you DO care and people care about you. If things get hard, you can take a break. But you really need a break not because you don't care but because you DO and, well, caring can be exhausting too.”

 

There was a pause and Grillby heard rustling when Sans hugged Swabby followed by Swabby's chuckling.

 

“Love you too, Sans.”

 

Grillby waited a few minutes before knocking at the door, feeling a bit bad to intrude on this moment. But it was good to know that they were okay.

 

 

-

 

 

That is not to say others don't have their bad days.

 

Saz was prone to intrusive thoughts that would leave him in a state of frozen terror.

Pyru was more often than not the one to get Saz to a safe spot then and curl up around him.

Sometimes Parz would do it too but it was difficult for both of them.

 

It was a sadly not-so-unusual sight to see Saz half-shifted with his tail between his legs and letting out tiny whines while Pyru held him close, trying to be mindful of his sharp claws. “Hey, bro, it's okay,” mumbled Pyru, trying his best to calm Saz down. “We're here, it's okay, you are not in the lab anymore.”

 

“I'm useless, useless,” came from Saz, his voice garbled and barely audible for anyone besides Pyru at this point, his words broken and barely resembling sentences. “I'm sorry, I couldn't do it. I can't, I should… I’m defective, I'm sorry, I tried, please don't hurt him, please don't hurt him, please don't...”

 

Pyru winced a bit at the words. Saz seemed to be deep into the past, right into what Gaster had done to him besides the obvious. Thinking about what exactly Gaster had done and how he used Parz to needlessly torture Saz, who loved and treasured nothing more than his brother, always made him so angry! “Bro, you are not useless,” he mumbled, nuzzling his neck carefully while shoving his anger away. Even after years of good meals and healing Saz was still so... fragile.

 

“I couldn't... I couldn't...”

 

“Saz, it's okay. You didn't do nothing wrong. Parz is alright. Everybody is alright and you did good.”

 

“I can't do good, I never do good, I just screw up and... and...”

 

“Saz... Saz, stop,” whispered Pyru. “It's alright. You aren't there anymore. We’re home, we are with dad and Uncle Swabby and Uncle Fellby. They love you. We love you. You are good, you did good. Parz is still there and he loves you with all his soul,” he continued. “You did nothing wrong, it was all Gaster. He did wrong. He hurt you and Parz. Nobody else.”

 

Only sobbing answered him.

Pyru knew it would take a while. He could only pet his brother gently, mumble encouragement to him and do his best to let him know that he is indeed safe and loved. Pyru only looked up when he noticed Parz standing nearby, looking uncomfortable yet with a strange look of sadness on his features. “Don't just stand there,” muttered Pyru. “Get over here.”

 

“But...” mumbled Parz, hesitating. “I umm...”

 

“I don't care, he needs you,” huffed Pyru sharply. “You don't have to do much just... just hug him. Tell him you are here.” He saw Parz hesitate more and narrowed his eyes a tiny bit. “He NEEDS that, Parz.”

 

It was a bit unfair, placing this on Parz' shoulders and Pyru knew it but it also was one of the only things that would help Saz in the moment.

 

Barely anything else would do the job when he was this lost is memory.

 

 

Pyru was relieved when Parz finally came over to them and sat down, wrapping his long arms around Saz too.

 

“Saz...?” he asked awkwardly. “I... uhm... here.” Parz's voice was tiny and thin, so very much unlike his usual bolstering and loud self. “And... uh… well um… and you do... do good. You’re my brother umm after all.”

 

Saz shaking stilled and he glanced up, looking at Parz with an expression so full of wonder and hope that it just broke Pyru's heart... even if it wasn't the first time he saw this expression on the smaller skeleton’s face. “Really?”

 

“Y-yeah,” mumbled Parz only to let out a ‘oof’ sound when Saz more-or-less jumped him, hugging him tightly.

 

“You are not alone, you two,” Pyru mumbled, holding the two close to himself. “Never. Okay? You got me and the others and our flame dads… and I love you guys. The others do too. And... and Gaster was wrong in everything he ever told you. He was a bastard and you know it but you have start believing it too.”

 

He wasn't sure if Saz even heard him or not.

Parz didn't said anything about his comment but Pyru did not let that discourage him. He stayed with his brothers, hugging them. He tried to focus on how to help his brothers rather than to curse the shattered soul of Gaster.

 

Only when Saz’ shaking stilled did he begun to speak. “Hey,” Pyru mumbled, his voice sounding hoarse from the emotional toil. “How about letting off some steam?”

 

Fellby found the three of them later in the snow outside, Saz partially shifted while Pyru fully in his canine form, firing their blasters and, in Parz' case, his dark red magic at a pile of sludge that might have at some point been a snowman.

 

A very ugly snowman judging by the pieces of ice scattered around.

 

“Hey, what are you brats doing?” the blue flame asked coming closer, being careful to stay away from the puddles caused by melted snow.

 

“Some coping,” answered Pyru after shifting back to his humanoid form, grinning while Saz and Parz both looked towards Fellby, Saz’ tail wagging.

 

“Coping?”

 

“Bad day,” mumbled Saz looking ashamed while Parz just nodded.

 

“Ah.” Fellby wasn't very good when it came to bad days but he at least learned a trick that could help. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around the boys and pulled them close, picking both of them up. “Welp look at that, I got you now,” he said, grinning. “So wipe that bastard out of your mind this instant, he lost all rights on you. You're mine now.”

 

“Hey! Not fair, you can't just steal them!” protested Pyru. “They are mine too.”

 

“Good luck with that, brat. These two are all mine!” grinned Fellby, holding Saz and Parz away from their brother.

“They’re my brothers!”

 

“They’re my brats. Shoo.”

 

Parz sighed, doing his best to hide his amusement with an annoyed expression.

Saz couldn’t help but to giggle against the hug, holding tight to the dark colored jacket.

 

Pyru finally started to chase Fellby in his dog form while Fellby kept the two skeletons in his arms, cackling like a maniac.

Grillby found them later passed out in the living room in front of the fireplace, Fellby wrapped around Saz and Parz while Pyru was snuggled in his canine form against Fellby’s back.

 

Swabby later handed him a picture of them for Grillby's ever growing gallery upon his bedroom walls.

 

-

Needless to say, Pyru had bad days too.

 

While his was not as severe as Sans’ depression, Pyru would have horrible nightmares as a child leaving him nervous and jumpy whenever he couldn't see his brothers, especially after the... stranger nightmares begun.

 

The ones Sans and Saz seemed to have too.

 

After such nightmares, he would check everything twice to make sure doors and windows were secure. Every shadow looked like Gaster returning for them, every knife seemed to be the same one which cut down his brothers…

 

“Pyru?”

 

He jumped, startled and half shifted, claws digging into the wall and holding him in place as his tail stood straight and a strange hiss came out of his mouth.

 

“Woar, Pyru!”

 

He blinked and looked down, seeing Suny standing there looking spooked and worried while Sans behind him seemed to be trying very hard not to laugh.

 

“What had driven you up the wall, bro?” Sans asked, winking.

 

“I knew you were jumpy, brother, but this is a _bit_ much,” Suny remarked with a more serious tone than the one Sans had taken.

 

“We came to lift up your spirit a bit but looks like your body already is,” continued Sans.

 

Pyru blinked.

 

There was a distinctive growl of “SANS, SUNY, STOP WITH THE PUNS!” heard at the end of the hall.

 

Finally, Pyru chuckled and let go of the wall, landing smoothly on his forelegs before shifting back so he could talk properly. “Uh... sorry, bros. I just...”

 

“Yeah, we know,” cut in Sans lazily. “At least you didn't blast the carpet again. I think dad likes that one.”

“WE GOT A NEW CD AND WE WANT TO LISTEN TO IT WITH YOU!” shouted Suny excitedly as he waved the disk around, eyes shining.

 

They spent the next few hours listening to music that let Pyru think of strange new worlds and imagine what the surface, the sky and stars beyond must be like, banishing thoughts of dust and darkness, of a glittering knife and a grinning shadow with a drill from his mind.

 

-

Papyrus and Suny, on the other hand, had seldom few bad days. The both of them were decently sheltered from the worst of the abuse; Pyru managing to keep Suny out of it seemingly entirely while Sans managed to keep attention focused off of Papyrus.

 

Still, they did have nightmares of their own.

 

Suny usually would just be cuddlier on these days, following Pyru around or hanging onto Saz and not letting go.

Saz sometimes got irritated at the behavior but never could bring himself to tell the smaller skeleton off. Eventually his narcolepsy would kick in and the two of them could be found curled up around each other sleeping.

 

“You know, you are pretty good at this,” mumbled Saz one day while Suny was again latched onto him.

 

“I am always good at things,” chirped Suny. “Though… what do you mean?”

 

“Faking it.”

 

Suny blinked at that surprised, cocking his head to the side. “Huh? I don't fake anything…”

 

“You fake not knowing but you do… don’t you?” replied Saz, his eyes looking at something far off. “What really happened to Pyru and the others, I mean. You act like everything is fine and that you’re ignorant of everything but...”

 

“What are you talking about?” huffed Suny, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don't understand.”

 

Saz sighed and turned to Suny. “Listen, you and the others told me and Parz time and time again to not bullshit you and tell you the truth about stuff. Would be hypocritical of you to not do that yourself, you know? You’re not stupid and I bet you know a lot more stuff going on than you let on.”

 

“Well... uhm...” mumbled Suny, clearly not knowing what to say.

 

“And I bet the cutesy-innocent image you got going on is just that... an image,” continued Saz. “Just like the bullshit me and Parz are... are pulling sometimes. Why do you do it?”

 

Suny did not reply right away making Saz believe he was now ignoring him. But finally, he felt the smaller skeleton nuzzle into him, relaxing while taking a deep breath.

  
“Because it made Pyru smile,” he muttered quietly. “He is my brother and was my... my everything. It was always dark and silent and there was NOTHING besides... besides Pyru. He named me and played with me and told me about everything. And... and he tried so hard to not let me know that he got hurt when he was taken away. He always smiled and seemed less sad when I smiled and laughed for him so I did.” Suny wiped at his eyes. “I pretended not to notice so he could pretend to me that everything was alright.”

 

“... you know that's fucked up, don’t you?”

 

Suny snorted. “That's five gold in the swear jar, Saz.”

 

“Fuck off,” Saz huffed in a similar way to their uncle but smiled. “I mean... I get it. Kinda. I think...”

 

“I know it's not... uhm... honest,” mumbled Suny. “Popo said I could talk to him...”

 

“Maybe you should,” agreed Saz. “I mean... I did and Sans and Pyru… I think Parz did too…”

 

“Yeah, but... I’m supposed to be the happy one,” whined Suny.

 

Saz couldn’t do anything other than to hug his brother. “If you ever tell anybody about this, I will deny it,” he mumbled into the hug. “But... you are not supposed to be everything. You are Suny and my brother and you are just right and perfect as you are. You don't have to be happy all the time to be a pretty happy person, you know.”

 

Suny gave a little hiccup, trying to hold back the tears he felt stinging in the corner of his eyes and held on closer to Saz.

 

 

Papyrus, on the other hand, bad days were more present based.  
There were still the nightmares from the past too, but he usually choose to live in the NOW than lock himself away in thoughts of past events.

 

Parz was trying not to notice when Papyrus came into their room, looking gloomy, the usual spring in his steps missing.

 

Papyrus’ bag hit the ground hard and there was a ruffling sound when Papyrus sat down on the ground which gave away the fact that Papyrus entered one of the many makeshift hiding places.

 

Parz frowned. That was very abnormal for Papyrus who usually announced his entrance into every room annoyingly loud. Something was wrong.

 

And someone had to fix it.

 

Parz’ first instinct would normally have been to have Saz deal with the situation or, if he were home, Fellby… but he knew the others were most likely still out, leaving the two of them alone.

 

He glanced towards the hiding spot where he could faintly hear a snffling sound.

 

He couldn’t deal with this! This was not his forte!

 

A small hiccup sound followed.

 

The sound gripped at Parz’ chest. He had to do something.

 

Inside the hiding place sat Papyrus, arms wrapped around his knees upon which his head rested. The lanky skeleton was sniffling quietly to himself, obviously trying his hardest not to cry.

 

Parz tried to block out the obvious tears, focusing on Papyrus’ legs. Very long legs… It was super aggravating that Papyrus was taller than him now, hell Papyrus was the tallest of all of their brothers!

 

“P-Parz?”

 

Papyrus’ voice dragged Parz back to the present. When he looked back to his brother’s face, he met with big teary eyes. “Ugh,” shivered Parz in a huffing manner before sitting down beside the other skeleton, looking everywhere except at Papyrus’ face.

It took a moment for Parz to realize his hands were slightly shaking and he quickly balled them into fist, holding them stiffly within his lap. If he were going to do this, he had to do it fast before he lost the courage! “What… with you?”

 

“Nothing,” mumbled back Papyrus somehow understanding his question.

 

“Don’t lie to me.”

 

Papyrus frowned deeper. “Umm Jerry laughed at me today at school when I told him I wanted to be his friend,” he finally wailed. “And no one wanted to do the group-work with me in class and… and… Jerry said no one wants to be friends with someone like me!” Papyrus was openly crying now.

 

Parz panicked.

 

What would Fellby do in this situation?

 

Well… most likely their uncle would run.

Parz loved their uncle with every fiber of his soul but, at this age, he come to realize that sometime Fellby was perhaps not the most reliable person when it came to emotional issues… and running away just would not do when it concerned someone as lighthearted as Papyrus.

 

So… what would Grillby of Swabby do?

 

That answer was luckily not difficult to figure out.

 

Parz carefully, awkwardly hugged onto Papyrus. “There, there,” he mumbled unsure, trying to remember what Swabby would tell him to calm him down. “Its um… You uhh are a good guy, skeleton umm… ugh if this Jerry guy doesn’t see it then he’s a-“ he paused, trying to think of an appropriate insult somewhere between what Fellby and Grillby would use. “A uhh poop head,” he nodded. It wasn’t the best insult of the century but it was so hard to come up with something decent around Papyrus.

 

Papyrus blinked at him for a moment before chuckling.

Parz deemed the small laugh as a victory. “Now stop crying.”

 

“But I still feel like crying.”

 

“Then… uhmm…” Parz faltered. He had no idea what to do. “Then cry… but umm it’ll be alright.”

 

“Thank-you, Parz,” Papyrus spoke up, hugging his brother tightly. “You’re the best!”

Parz was still a bit uncomfortable with this whole thing but he allowed Papyrus to hug him a while longer.

 

He also planned to have a long conversation with Jerry tomorrow at school.

-

 

 

For Parz bad days weren't necessarily nightmares and flashbacks, rather more physical.

The damage done to him in the lab left him with a body that wasn't designed for normal day-to-day life. His hands hurt constantly, his head ached whenever there were loud noises and he just... couldn't shift like his brothers without being in pain.

 

Being forced to do so and made to attack his friends and family didn't help.

 

Most of the time it was okay, just a dull ache which with he had become familiar with long ago. Healer Asklepios had given him plenty of options to reduce the pain and laid out more routes they could take in the future to reverse the modifications done to his body but…

 

Other days it just… felt all to much.

 

“Parz?”

 

Parz did not make a sound, looking up when he heard Fellby call out to him. He was curled up on the couch, the pain in his head too strong to do anything else without having the world seemingly spin around him.

 

Fellby quickly sat down beside the skeleton upon noticing the shaking bones and hugged him to himself.

 

Parz nuzzled weakly into the heat, enjoying how the ache faded a bit.

 

“Rough day?”

 

There was no point in lying so Parz nodded once.

 

“Come here.”

 

The blue under him shifted to green and a different kind of warmth surrounded him.

 

Healing magic.

 

It would not heal Parz’ bone but, never the less, it soothed the pain and made him feel much better.

Parz snuggled deeper against Fellby who was now gently petting over his skull, humming a slight tune. “I’m not Pyru,” muttered Parz weakly against the dark coat.

 

Fellby chuckled in turn. “I know,” he spoke softly. “That brat has me trained huh?”

 

Parz couldn’t help but to smile at the joke. “You’re not a dog.”

 

“No that’s would you boys.”

 

“Hey,” Parz huffed slightly. “Pyru’s way worse.”

 

“That he is,” agreed the blue flame. “What say we go sic Papyrus and Suny on him later?”

 

“… Dad will get mad if you give them another sugar high.”

 

“We’ll say it’s the candle’s fault.”

 

However, Grillby wasn’t as angry as they had expected once the orange flame noticed how Parz still clung to Fellby that evening. And Swabby took his ‚punishment‘ of making sweets for deserts with a lot of grace.

 

 

 

-

 

Meanwhile, Fellby preferred to deal with his own problems alone. Or rather, he had no clue how to deal with them and choose to forget them.

 

Of course, it didn’t help when he was in Hotland and ran into some old friends who reminded him of some things he’d much rather have had forgotten by now.

 

He faced the guilt by getting horribly drunk after he’d beaten the two of them very close to one HP and crashed the night at Muffet’s place, rambling on about stuff he couldn’t quite recall the next morning… Though he had to get the hell out of there as soon as he saw a small band of guards heading towards the bakery entrance.

 

His only option left was his cave and Soup though staying there just reminded him of that stupid bet…

 

He knew it would be next to impossible to get anything for the next few weeks until everything blew over so, as soon as he could manage to sneak around the heightened patrols, he made his way to Grillby’s home.

 

Fellby nearly broke down when Swabby opened the door for him with his usual smile and ‘Welcome home’ right before insisting on him getting a bath and clean clothes.

 

It was too much like a proper family.

Everything he missed and wanted yet somehow it weirded him out.

 

Only when he sat on the couch later in the evening between his two cousins, Grillby reading while Swabby slowly fell asleep, did it hit him. He could have lost everything, could have never had this…

 

Swabby could have died and Grillby would’ve hated him…

He would’ve never got to see the kids again or perhaps have never met them to begin with…

 

All because of one stupid bet.

 

This mind spiraled into a breakdown due to his overthinking and selfish actions of the past.

 

He didn’t know who noticed first, if he had woken Swabby or if Grillby had noticed his flames flaring up, but there were suddenly arms around him and he was being hugged between the two elementals.

 

 

_His parents were screaming and he could see their HP drop bit by bit. He screamed and cried, pleading for the humans to stop but he couldn't do anything to stop them. Then there was dust where his family once was… They were gone and he would never see them again. Everyone else in the village was gone too all because of him._

 

_The scene seemed to morph, the piles of dust being replaced by Saz and Parz. Hurt and low on HP. They felt so weak within his arms as water burned against the flames of his back. Videos played in the corners of his eyes, the children being hurt by that bastard, their screams echoing off the walls… And Parz shifting, being controlled by Gaster. His punch connected just before Swabby ran onto the scene, Parz’ soul breaking and shattering into millions of pieces as his body turned to dust and the others screaming around him._

 

_The picture morphed once more. Swabby had fainted, being held up by Fellby’s arms alone, flames so low that he feared a single breath would blow him out. He could almost feel the yellow flame fade away, dust iching his hands…_

 

_He could not protect them._

_He could not save anyone._

 

_It was all his fault._

_First his parents, then his second family._

 

“Fellby, come on, it's alright,” whispered a voice at his ear. “It's alright... you're home...”

 

“Fells, whatever you are seeing, it’s not true,” whispered another voice. “Everything is alright. I’m here as is Swabby.”

 

Orange and yellow flames danced before his eyes and the feel of gentle magic surrounded him.

 

It was warm.

 

Right.

 

He was still at home, or rather Grillby’s home. Grillby and Swabby still sitting beside him on the couch he had long ago claimed… No one was dead and the kids were fine, more than likely still asleep in their beds.

 

He had escaped the humans long ago, that much was not a dream.

 

His family still liked him and wanted him to be around. He hadn’t fucked that up… yet.

 

He had not acted upon the bet, as stupid as it was, nor had he given Parz mercy... He helped in protecting the children from the crazy scientist and other dangers alike. He had gotten Swabby home safely when he had fallen sick in Hotland...

  
Not to mention that he always found his way back home each time he ran away and was constantly forgiven by the two flames over and over again for the stupid mistakes he made.

 

Sure, he messed up a handful of times but he hadn’t fucked up, hadn’t lost them yet.

 

Fellby took a few deep breaths, the panic slowly fading. He only now noticed he had been clinging to the both of them like a lifeline and quickly let go.

 

“Hey,” spoke Grillby quietly, “are you back with us?”

 

Fellby gave a little huff, not trusting his voice.

 

“Wanna stay like this?” questioned Swabby, still hugging the blue flame close.

 

Fellby did not respond though did not make to push the smaller elemental away either.

 

“Wanna talk about it?”

 

This time Fellby shook his head. He really did not want them to know about any of this.

 

Swabby frowned. “Bad day?”

Fellby shrugged in turn.

 

Grillby spoke up gently, “Take as much time as you need.”

 

Thus the three fell asleep together on the couch.

It was not the first time and would not be the last.

 

 

All of them had their own bad days.

There were nightmares and days that just seemed like everything was too much…

There were days where thing just hurt or felt unreal…

They were days where they couldn’t move and others where they couldn’t sit still…

 

Simply bad days.

 

But, for all of them, there was the knowledge that, despite the darkness, they would have each other to fall back on; they had each other as a light to chase away the shadows of the past.

 

It would take a while and there were still many bumps in the road along the way but, in the end, they would all come out of it fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we both hope you had fun with this. It's kinda a filler chapter we had almost ready for a while... RL stuff kinda took a lot of our time. Hopefully we are back on track soon. Keep your eyes open for the Mini chapters too. ;)
> 
> Also, thank you all again for Kudos, comments, likes and reblogs and if you got questions please visit our tumblr plages. ^^ (we both are always happy to talk about this little family :D) See you all next time.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, yeah. This was just a little scene after the first No mercy run. And we have, like, a whole ton of headcanons. 
> 
> I will post stuff here, maybe we will make a seperate tumblr for this AU, we will see where this goes. I will keep you posted if something like this happens. ;)
> 
> You can also go here for our tumblr:  
> http://antarestyl.tumblr.com/ (me) and  
> http://namekian-maoh.tumblr.com/ (Namekian Maoh)
> 
> ADDON: We also made a side blog for dresses that Swabby would like. Because reasons. : https://swabbysdresses.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also: Thank you to http://babyblasters.tumblr.com/ for the beautiful Baby Blaster AU  
> (And so many people more who created so many beautiful AUs)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Hiding](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7743202) by [Luxe3710](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxe3710/pseuds/Luxe3710)
  * [Mistakes were Made](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8430601) by [Ama_Person](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ama_Person/pseuds/Ama_Person)




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